Melody Riddle and the Chamber of Secrets
by lisa602
Summary: Melody's ready for her second year at Hogwarts and has made it her duty to keep Harry from returning to Hogwarts with her friend, Draco's, house elf, Dobby. Along the way she sees something between her mother and Gilderoy Lockhart (whom you all know). She thinks she is free from her father, the Dark Lord, but mistaken as to the diary she asked Lucius Malfoy to unleash in school.
1. Chapter 1

As my friends went outside to play Quidditch, a game of flying broomsticks around, in which I promised to be the seeker once I 'got back from the bathroom.'

What I, Melody Riddle, was really going to do was talk to the father of the house, my friend, Draco's, dad Lucius. I had a mission my dad had given me at the end of my first school year at Hogwarts, of which no one but I, myself, knew about at the moment, not even my mom.

My dad was the wizarding world renowned powerful villain, as one could put it, Lord Voldemort. Before this name, his regular name was Tom Riddle, whose last name my mom kept.

The mission my father had given me was to go talk to Lucius Malfoy about getting an old diary of his into the school, as it had a surprise within that Mr. Malfoy didn't know about.

I found his office and knocked lightly.

"Come in" I heard him say.

I walked in. Draco had his features, including the pale blond hair.

"Melody!" he said with surprise, "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be out playing Quidditch?"

"I – uh – just have some business to discuss with you." I said, a little nervously.

He raised an eyebrow, putting a book he was holding down onto the table in front of him and gesturing to a seat.

I shook my head.

"My dad gave me a mission just a few weeks ago, and I decided it was best to get it over with before the next time I came to be with Draco and our other friends…"

Mr. Malfoy nodded, "Go on…"

"This is sort of awkward for me… you mustn't tell anyone I've told you to do this, or why you're doing it." I said.

He cleared his throat, slightly confused. So he didn't know my dad's true name, only his widely known name. "I give you my word that I won't tell anyone about this. Now, Melody, what is it?"

This was nerve-wrecking, that I was actually following through with what my dad asked me to do _again_, though it likely gave harm to others. I didn't even know about the surprise inside of the diary, what it was, and I hadn't cared to ask dad before he left. We wouldn't speak for a while, of which I'd been grateful, but I still had something to worry about. Would I ever have a regular year at Hogwarts? … As regular as it can be for wizarding school?

I used the name my dad had given me at a time when I had such time as to speak to him for days on end, to start off. "My dad, the Dark Lord, has asked an inquiry about the diary he entrusted you with."

His eyes widened. I had said that sentence with much more confidence than I did starting it off, which I did so as to keep an impression over him of who I was.

He stuttered a bit. "T-the Dark Lord's still alive? After what happened at the school with the Potter boy?"

"But of course," I said simplistically, "Now, the diary."

He quickly went into one of his drawers, rummaging through it and taking out the diary. I could see it was old, about fifty years, because of the slightly faded year on the cover.

"I don't know what he wants this for, it's all blank except for the inside which says T. M. Riddle… the Dark Lord's real name, I suppose?" Mr. Malfoy asked nervously. Melody was taken aback; he was scared of her now! She hadn't exactly expected that, he knew more spells than she did, still.

She nodded.

"I guess I should've realized when I first found out Orele's last name was Riddle and she had you with her… last year, you know."

Orele was my mom. The previous year when I had gotten my schoolbooks, it was the first time I had ever met Draco, in Madam Malkins' shop where I got my school robes. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy were there and interacted with my mom a short bit while Draco and I got fitted.

Mom's maiden name was Ollivander, and she was the daughter of the best wandmaker and seller in Diagon Alley where young wizards buy school supplies. We live with him now, as well as grandma and Uncle Gerald.

"I'm here to tell you what he wants you to do with it. Though you see nothing in it, it holds a surprise he wants to be placed into the school… what he wants you to do is place it into the hands of a Hogwarts student, he didn't specify who." I said, watching the diary warily, wondering what secrets it held.

"All right…" he said, "I will do so… did he tell you what it is said to do?"

I shook my head, "Never said a word."

"Well, he told me that something about it, when unleashed in the school, would go after all the mudblood filth within… and hopefully take them all out before the end of the year." Mr. Malfoy said to me in little more than a whisper, and with a smile on his face.

I smiled, too, with the best evil smile I could muster for him. "Perfect."

"If that is all, you can go to your friends now, Melody." Mr. Malfoy said. But, just as I was going out the door, he had to ask a question. "Wait – when you say I can't tell anyone about this, or even talk about this… that means I can't tell any fellow death eaters, my wife, my son, or anyone?"

"No one close, and no one you're not close to." I said decisively. "Not even my mom knows about this. Just you, me, and my dad."

Mr. Malfoy paled.

"He trusts you Mr. Malfoy, best to follow instructions as they are." I said.

I left the room and closed the office door behind me, accompanied by an "_Eek_!" from an unknown source. I looked down to see bulging green eyes staring back at me, the size of tennis balls. As well as large, bat-like ears, and wearing what seemed to be an old pillowcase… one of the house-elves.

I had learned about house-elves just that day as I came to visit Draco for the first time. They were the slaves of the wizarding world.

The house-elf hit itself upside the head nonstop until it was satisfied that it had punished itself. This was something Draco said that they told the house elf to do whenever they did something wrong, so as that they would do it themselves and learn… this one was their only one.

"Dobby didn't mean to eavesdrop on the conversation between my master and the Dark Lord's daughter! I couldn't help myself…"

I hushed him, having an idea, and then said quietly, "Follow me."

Dobby the house elf followed obediently, though I was not one of his masters. I hid with him in one corner of the house where Draco said no one went. I whispered to Dobby quietly, and made sure he knew to be silent.

"Can you do something for me?" I asked.

"Anything you want!"

"I feel like it's not fair to ask this of you, considering your masters _must not_ know I've asked you to do this. But, do you know of Harry Potter?"

"All house-elves know of him, Master Malfoy hates him miserably, and we know of why he's famous in the wizarding world –" Dobby cut himself off, knowing who he was talking to.

"It's fine, yes, he's well known for the disappearance of my dad… now I know that book is dangerous, the one I gave to Mr. Malfoy. Now, what I want you to do is do everything in your power to keep Harry Potter from going to school this year. If it's something from my dad, then whatever it is will also be likely for going after him. It'll be dangerous…" I said.

Dobby looked shocked. "It will be an honor to keep Harry Potter safe! Oh, daughter of the Dark Lord, you have a kinder heart than I thought!"

"I was there last year when Harry Potter was almost killed, and I'm certain that he shouldn't be, especially for how young he is. I want to be able to keep him safe even though I'm letting a danger enter the school." I said softly. _And the Dark Lord's daughter_, I thought sadly.

"Dobby will do it! Yes, yes, he will! He accepts!"

"Great!" I said excitedly. "All right, you can go now. I just wanted to ask that of you."

"Yes, daughter of the Dark Lord, I shall follow through with it!"

Dobby was ready to leave when I stopped him to say, "You can just call me Melody… 'daughter of the Dark Lord' is a little extreme, especially when I'm around my friends. They aren't supposed to know."

He vigorously nodded and left me.

I went out to Draco's small Quidditch field where all my friends were up in the air. I took a free broomstick, mounted it, and kicked off from the ground, soaring into the air with my friends.

Draco, Greg, Vincent, and Becky were there, now playing a game of trying to knock each other off of their broomsticks. I had two other friends… Addy, which I shared a friendship with these four, except she was a Hufflepuff and we were Slytherins. We hardly hung out with her. My secret friend was a Gryffindor, the House that was Slytherin's worst enemy. Her name was Hermione, and she was also what Draco would call a mudblood, but what other _good_ wizards would call a muggle-born witch.

A muggle was a term for a non-magical being, a basic human. Some people in school were muggle-born, yet with magical powers, an amazing feat for them. But my dad's whole life was against them, he hated them.

Another thing about Hermione was that she was a close friend to Harry Potter. The previous year when my dad found out I was friends with her, I told him it was for more information on Harry Potter, which pleased him. But the truth was that I became friends with her to be friends with her, as she had no friends in her own House at the time I did so. I was her first Hogwarts friend, though Slytherins and Gryffindors were sworn enemies.

"Hey, let's play hawks and sparrows!" Draco said. "I'll be the hawk!"

"No you will not!" Becky said defiantly. She had short, curly brown hair and a very large, Cheshire-like smile.

"Right," I agreed, "We won't be able to get past you even once, none of us."

Draco grinned.

Hawks and sparrows was a game I created based off of the game sharks and minnows, a regular muggle game I played in school when I was little.

I'm not muggle-born… well, obviously, I _am_ the daughter of the Dark Lord, but I hadn't always known that. No one else even knew that I knew I was the Dark Lord's daughter. Only my close family members knew about it, though thinking I didn't know just yet.

I had once lived in America (Hogwarts is hidden within Great Britain), hence why I was the only girl in school with an American accent instead of a British accent. My step-dad was a muggle, and my mom had married him to keep under the radar, that was until I was ten and Professor Dumbledore came to our house.

My mom gave birth to my half-brother, who didn't live with us but stayed with my step-dad, and left my step-dad to help me work through school. He still didn't know about us being wizards, and we'd never had contact with him since.

My friends and I played hawks and sparrows until our parents came to get us, and I felt proud with myself for getting done what I needed to get done and didn't worry about it anymore. Therefore, I forgot all about it until sometime during school.


	2. Chapter 2

"Did you have fun at Draco's?" my mom asked me once she'd apparated us home. I couldn't wait to learn how to do this myself, because though it felt like I was being squeezed through a tube I really wanted to be able to go to so many places and without it taking hours, days, or weeks.

"Yeah, it was so much fun. I enjoyed it." I said.

"Glad you've made such wonderful friends."

I smiled and went to see grandpa in his office. I had taken an interest in his notes about wand woods during Christmas break last year and so he'd taken to teaching me his research. He had such amazing notes and observations that it intrigued me.

Grandpa had told me that it was surprising of me to be interested in his notes when my mom and uncle despised the times he went through his notes with them.

"Hey," I said when walking in, taking a seat by him. I had the eyes, the 'Ollivander eyes', like grandpa, mom, and uncle, it was just grandma that was the odd one out without gray eyes. Yet, she had the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen.

"Did you have fun?"

I was surprised at how many times I heard grandpa and mom actually ask me the exact same thing. As if they had the same mind… and though this was not a question to ponder over, there were some really strange ones they'd both asked, not that I could remember any off of the top of my head.

"Yeah, I had a great time." I said.

I sat down on my bed close to four weeks later, absent-mindedly petting my cat, Bodoujn. He was a sweet black cat, and very smart, too.

I then lay down and stared at the ceiling while Bodoujn moved so he could sleep on my stomach.

I had to admit to myself, life was better and more fun for me than it was when I lived in America, thinking I was a regular muggle. Yet, I wanted to go back there, see my baby half-brother, how he and my step-dad are doing. And, even go back to those days when I didn't worry about having an evil dad, thinking my step-dad was my real one and believing for such fleeting moments that I was normal.

Though, the bad thing about going back to that time was me not knowing who I really was. That and the fact that I never made real friends with anybody, I had a few, but none like the ones I had now.

_Forget it, Melody,_ I thought to myself. _This is your life now. Be happy about it._

Bodoujn began purring very loudly, it was a sudden action, and I knew he just wanted me to be happy to. I knew I wouldn't have ever gotten him had I still been in America in the muggle world… I wouldn't even get a cat because my step-dad was allergic to them. I never understood it, now it felt like it would be a sad thing to be allergic to a cat.

Summer now seemed that it would just bore me to death, only doing wand studies with grandpa. I wanted Hogwarts work, that was the most fun… or at least already have the textbooks to study from. Yet, I had to wait until I got my supply list, and until July thirty-first, my birthday, to go into Diagon Alley and buy all the supplies.

Five to six weeks had so far passed by in the summer… I wondered if I should count the days down, but I felt that would likely make the days go by a lot slower than usual. Why _did_ days go by much slower for me all the time? It had been worse during muggle school years, and I was wishing for Hogwarts to go by slowly. Yet, there wasn't an endless amount of basic magic for me to learn, I would learn more depending on what career I chose for after Hogwarts, whatever that may be.

I suddenly heard a noise downstairs of "Aha!" Uncle Gerald had beat mom at a game of chess – again. They seemed about half-and-half now, both very good at the game so I couldn't even beat them – ever.

"Melody!" grandma called out.

"Yeah?"

"You have a letter!"

Bodoujn leapt off of my stomach and ran out of the room to go downstairs, I chased after him. How could my cat be more excited to go to Hogwarts than me?

I got down the stairs where grandma stood, holding the letter out.

When I got it, I saw it _was_ a Hogwarts letter. I got so excited I ripped the letter open instantly. There was the usual overview of catching the Hogwarts Express on September first, then:

SECOND YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE:

_The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2_ by Miranda Goshawk

_Break with a Banshee_ by Gilderoy Lockhart

_Gadding with Ghouls_ by Gilderoy Lockhart

_Holidays with Hags_ by Gilderoy Lockhart

_Travels with Trolls_ by Gilderoy Lockhart

_Voyages with Vampires_ by Gilderoy Lockhart

_Wanderings with Werewolves_ by Gilderoy Lockhart

_Year with the Yeti_ by Gilderoy Lockhart

"This Gilderoy Lockhart has got more than three fourths of the list." I said, looking it over, it seemed really strange.

"Lockhart?" Uncle Gerald asked with a snort. "He's one of the most famous celebrities. He's written so many books, and according to many witches, he's extremely handsome and has the most charming smile. Not to your mother though thankfully."

My mom scoffed.

Uncle Gerald added, with many smirks, "He received many honorable awards. There was Order of Merlin, Third Class; he became an Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League; and is a five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award."

"He sure likes alliteration, too." I muttered softly, which no one else heard. I wasn't even sure if they knew of it, having not needed to learn it. I only learned about it in fifth grade because my teacher had wanted us to learn about poetic devices before getting into middle school. Sure wouldn't give me a whole lot of use now.

"Can we go get the books right now?" I asked.

"Not now, maybe tomorrow," mom said, "You could actually go with Draco and his father, when I went to get you last time, Lucius said he'd be glad to take you."

"Oh, really… well, I guess that'll be fun." I said.

"You should try to get all of his books, Melody," mom said, "He's got other books as well, besides those school ones. And perhaps even some other books, for you and for me."

"Maybe if you'd write those down for me, I could get them when I go down to Diagon Alley tomorrow." I said, handing her my school second-year book list, which she took and got a quill and ink bottle to write down the other books.

When she gave it back to me, I read:

Melody: Magical Me by Gilderoy Lockhart

Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century

Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests by Gilderoy Lockhart

Marauding with Monsters by Gilderoy Lockhart

The Travel Trilogy by Gilderoy Lockhart

Encyclopedia of Toadstools

Mum: Charm your own Cheese

One Minute Feasts – It's Magic

Enchantment in Baking

"Who's the author of the other books?" I asked.

"I can't remember," mom said truthfully, "I can only remember what books Lockhart wrote."

"Never mind, maybe you are just as in love with him as every other witch is." Uncle Gerald said.

"I'm got to come after you sometime soon, and you'll regret that."

I chuckled, though mom sounded absolutely serious about it.

"Stop bickering!" grandpa said, walking into the room, "Orele, if I catch you doing something to Gerald, I will lock you in your room."

"I'm a grown woman, dad, don't treat me like a child."

"Then stop acting like one."

"Um, mom," I said, trying to get the conversation to stop as best as I could. Everyone still sort of glared at each other, though. "Why do you want all these cookbooks?"

"I want to be able to start cooking again, and since I'm not allowed to do muggle cooking in the house, your grandfather insists I use a cookbook." Mom sounded very resentful about that, but there was nothing that she could seemingly do about it. Grandpa was still her dad, yet at times he would still treat her and Gerald as though they were my age, even when they were actually being mature adults.

"Hmm…" I said thoughtfully, looking over the list again. "Okay."


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, I woke up at around six and got ready for the day. I put on the clothes I set myself to wear for the day, took the key out of one of my drawers and placed it in my pants pocket.

I checked my school robes to make sure that I could still fit in it. It was still a perfect fit. I was still of a medium, yet small feeling, height.

At around nine, after I'd had breakfast, basically all before anyone in the house had woken up, there was a knock at the door. I quickly ate up my cereal and rushed to the door, right there was Lucius and Draco Malfoy.

"Are you ready?" Lucius asked.

"Yeah," I said, following them out and closing the door behind me, "So, how will we get there?"

"We'll disapparate." Lucius said, holding out his arms for me and Draco to take.

I took his left arm while Draco took his right. When Lucius disapparated, I found we weren't actually in Diagon Alley. Lucius took us somewhere else, somewhere that looked a whole lot darker and more mysterious.

"Where did–?" I began.

"Knockturn Alley… I have some business to attend to here, and then we'll go to Gringotts and to Flourish and Blotts to get your schoolbooks." Lucius said, walking along.

"Usually the adults are only allowed down here," Draco whispered to me as we followed his dad, "Because it's too dangerous for us, since there are some dodgy people in these parts. It's best to keep close to father."

"How close is Knockturn Alley to Diagon Alley?" I asked.

"We could walk there!" Draco said with a laugh.

I nodded, smiling.

Lucius walked us into a shop that seemed to be the largest out of all the creepy shops around us. The name was Borgin and Burkes. A bell clanged as Lucius opened the door, allowing me and Draco in first.

Inside I saw some very disturbing sights and wondered if Lucius even told my mom about coming here first. There were evil-looking masks staring down at us from the walls; rusty, spiked instruments hung from the ceiling. There were many other things in there that I didn't even want to think about.

Draco walked over to a case with a glass eye in it. I followed him to see what was in the case and didn't enjoy that, the bloodstained pack of cards, nor the withered hand that lay on a cushion.

Lucius rang a bell on the counter and told us, "Touch nothing, you two."

"I thought you were going to buy me a present." Draco said.

Lucius drummed his finger on the counter impatiently. He didn't want this conversation with Draco. "I said I would buy you a racing broom."

Draco looked sullen, and I knew this would be another of his 'Harry Potter' complaints. He did it a lot with Becky, Vincent, Greg, and I when we hung out, it got annoying at times so Becky would throw something at him. It would always be whatever she held.

"What's the good of that if I'm not on the House team? Harry Potter got a Nimbus Two Thousand last year. Special permission from Dumbledore so he could play for Gryffindor. He's not even that good, it's just because he's _famous_... famous for having a stupid _scar_ on his forehead…" Draco bent down over a shelf full of skulls. "… everyone thinks he's so _smart_, wonderful _Potter_ with his _scar_ and his _broomstick _–"

Lucius gave Draco a look, "You have told me this at least a dozen times already. And I would remind you that it is not – prudent – to appear less than fond of Harry Potter, not when most of our kind regard him as the hero who made the Dark Lord disappear – ah, Mr. Borgin."

A man had appeared behind the counter, smoothing back his greasy hair. Mr. Borgin said, "Mr. Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you again. Delighted – and young Master Malfoy, too – charmed. And who is this?"

He looked at me interestedly.

"Riddle." I said simply.

Mr. Borgin nodded and then turned to Lucius again, "How may I be of assistance? I must show you, just in today, and very reasonably priced –"

Lucius interrupted, "I'm not buying today, Mr. Borgin, but selling."

Mr. Borgin's smile faded, "Selling?"

"You have heard, of course, that the Ministry is conducting more raids." Lucius took out a roll of parchment and unrolled it so that Mr. Borgin could read it. "I have a few – ah – items at home that might embarrass me, if the Ministry were to call…."

I blocked out everything else, looking around at the store. It was full of very disturbing things.

"Melody," Draco whispered, pointing to the withered hand, "What do you think that does?"

"To be creative, it looks like it could only hold your quill for you while you go up and whine to the Professor that it won't let you write anymore. Like it's not going to ever let you have the pen again. As though to maybe give a sign that you shouldn't write ever again." I said seriously.

Draco had to hold back his laughter. When he could control himself, he said, "Genius."

"Well, it doesn't look very strong as to jump up and choke somebody." I said reasonably.

Draco nodded, smirking, and interrupted Mr. Borgin to say, "Can I have _that_?" while pointing at the hand.

"Ah, the Hand of Glory!" Mr. Borgin said, hurrying over to us. I almost scoffed at the name of the thing. "Insert a candle and it gives light only to the holder! Best friend of thieves and plunderers! Your son has fine taste, sir."

Lucius was cold as he said, "I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or a plunderer, Borgin."

"No offense, sir, no offense meant –"

"Though if his grades don't pick up, that may indeed be all he is fit for –"

Draco gave his best retort, though sort of making me think 'really'? "It's not my fault. The teachers all have favorites, that Hermione Granger –"

"I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam." Lucius snapped.

I almost retorted to that, but let it slide. Draco was abashed and angry at his dad's words, and so was I, I had gotten grades as good as Hermione Granger did, and she _was_ my friend. Not that anyone knew about that.

"It's the same all over. Wizard blood is counting for less everywhere –" Mr. Borgin began.

"Not with me." Lucius said angrily.

"No, sir, nor with me, sir." Mr. Borgin said with a bow.

"In that case, perhaps we can return to my list." Lucius said.

Draco and I walked away to look over the objects that were for sale. I found a beautifully magnificent necklace of opals and tapped Draco on the shoulder.

"Read this." I whispered.

He looked it over and smirked.

It read: _Caution: Do Not Touch. Cursed – Has Claimed the Lives of Nineteen Muggle Owners to Date._

Draco turned and saw a cabinet, "I wonder what's in here," he whispered to me, and he reached out to open it. Now, I knew feelings better than many people, and I could feel an overwhelming fear coming from the cabinet. Who or what was in there?

But, alas, Lucius said, "Done. Come, Draco, Melody –"

We turned and followed Lucius out of the shop, but not before he added to Mr. Borgin:

"Good day to you, Mr. Borgin. I'll expect you at the manor tomorrow to pick up the goods."

I was slightly rattled by Lucius making us go in there, but Draco hadn't seemed to mind. This was unlike that time when he had to go into the Forbidden Forest off of the school grounds as a detention for being out late. I had gone with him to give him company as he was the only Slytherin in detention with three other Gryffindors. Draco had been very, very worried about going into the forest, as first years and, of course, other students weren't allowed in there.

Lucius led us out of Knockturn Alley, to my relief we did so without running into anyone, and walked quickly to Gringotts. He had something to do after helping us with school things, but what? My mom could've taken us instead and we'd have had less trouble.

We first went to Gringotts, the wizarding bank run by goblins. We went down to the vaults. Draco got his money first, which was in many, many loads. When we got to mine, it wasn't as much as his but I thought it well because it seemed good enough to pay for all my years at Hogwarts. Especially having learned from Uncle Gerald that the books we had to buy this year would be so expensive.

"Now," Lucius said as we walked out of Gringotts, "Is there anything else either of you really need before we go to Flourish and Blotts?"

"What about my broom?" Draco asked.

"We'll get that afterwards, I'm talking about school supplies."

"Mm, no, I don't think so." I said.

Draco shook his head in agreement.

We went to Flourish and Blotts then, which was packed even outside. People clambered to get in, and I realized why when I noticed the large banner that stretched across the upper windows. It said:

GILDEROY LOCKHART

will be signing copies of his autobiography

MAGICAL ME

today 12:30 P.M. to 4:30 P.M.

"Wow." I said. What was so amazing about Gilderoy Lockhart? I guess I'd learn about that once I read the books… I took out the list mom gave me and hoped we would be able to get in to the small bookstore.

Draco and I followed Lucius into the crowd and, to my surprise, we squeezed right through.

Lucius stood around just outside of the crowd while Draco and I went through to grab our books. Draco just got the _Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2_ while I got that, _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_, the _Encyclopedia of Toadstools_, _Charm your own Cheese, Enchantment in Baking,_ and _One Minute Feasts – It's Magic_. The other books my mom had wanted me to get were up with Gilderoy Lockhart.

We then went over to the full bookshelf of all of Gilderoy Lockhart's books. I took them all, but was missing _Magical Me_… we had to buy a signed copy.

I sighed.

"Well, we're done aren't we? Let's go." Draco said.

"Draco," I said, "My mom gave me a list of books to get, she wanted me to get _Magical Me_… I guess I have to get a signed one because it's not on this bookshelf."

He looked over the bookshelf, then smirked and said, "Good luck!"

"Very encouraging," I said sarcastically.

I made my way in line and got up to the front of the line in what felt like forever. Gilderoy took a book from the pile next to him, dipped his quill in ink, and looked at me interestedly.

"Now there's something about you that's familiar. What's your name?" he asked me.

"I'm Melody Riddle." I said, hoping he would stop staring at me like that.

He was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue, which matched his eyes nicely, and his wizard's hat was at a jaunty angle on his wavy blonde hair. His skin was very fair, and he had a charming smile, but to me it just felt too – white – too clean to be real.

"Hmm," he said, "Who's your mother? Are you getting this copy for her?"

"No, she said I would need it." I said, and then sighed when he wouldn't do anything else, "Her name is Orele."

He snapped his fingers. "Orele Ollivander!"

I hid my deepened surprise. How in the world did he know my mother? "Yes." I said.

"You have her eyes, and her hair color… yet different." Gilderoy was very interested in me.

_I'm going to die_, I thought as I looked at all the impatient witches in line behind me. I noted that almost all of the people in line were middle-aged witches. "I have my dad's features."

"And his accent, too, I'd guess?" he was referring to my American accent which I was surprised I still kept though I hadn't been in America for little over a year.

"No, I was born and raised in America… can you just sell me the autobiography now? There are some people who would like to get one from you, too, and I have somewhere to be afterwards." I said anxiously, though I really had all the time in the world.

"Oh, all right," he said, signing my copy. I paid for it and picked it up. I felt I was carrying too many books. But, Gilderoy stopped me for a second, took out a piece of paper and wrote on it at length. When he was finished, he handed it to me as well and said, "Give that to your mother."

I nodded and walked away from him as quickly as possible. I put the paper in the autobiography and stood next to Draco.

"Do you have everything?" Lucius asked us.

When we nodded, he took my books and disapparated them, then took Draco's books and disapparated them, probably to our homes.

"Do you mind if we go to other shops after this, Melody? I did promise Draco I'd get him his broomstick. Or, would you like me to take you home? It's all up to you." Lucius asked me, looking ready to get on out of the bookshop.

"No, I don't mind. Take me where you please, I won't stop you so long I can get home at some point."

Though, to my horror, Gilderoy Lockhart suddenly shouted, "It _can't_ be Harry Potter?"

The crowd parted and there stood Harry Potter. Gilderoy went into the crowd and brought Harry back to the front for pictures, shaking his hand and smiling broadly. Harry, however, looked lost and confused. He obviously didn't want to be there at that moment.

"Look at that," Draco whispered to me giddily, "Back into the spotlight he goes."

I made a soft chuckle, but wasn't happy about this. Dobby had said he would do his best to keep Harry from going to Hogwarts. I had trusted the elf, and I was pretty sure he followed through with it. Maybe it backfired? I had to ask later.

When Gilderoy was satisfied, he held onto Harry's shoulders before he could go anywhere and made an announcement.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!

"When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography – which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge –" the crowd applauded. But I felt certain Gilderoy had more news and was only building up tension. "He had _no idea_, that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, _Magical Me_. He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

The crowd clapped and Harry was given Gilderoy's whole set of books. He walked away from Gilderoy as quickly as I had.

"Gilderoy Lockhart as teacher," I mused softly to Draco, "One thing's for sure, that class might still be annoying this year."

"He won't stutter, though." Draco said.

"He's so stuck up." I said.

Draco wasn't even listening. He was watching Harry give the books to Ginny. "I'll be back." He disappeared from my sight and I sighed, he was off to torture poor Harry.

Suddenly there was a tap at my shoulder and I turned around to see Becky.

"Hey!" I said.

"Hi, where are your parents?" Becky asked.

"I came with Draco and his dad. Apparently my mom decided to take up the offer by Lucius that he could take me to Diagon Alley." I said, rolling my eyes. "I don't know why she couldn't take me. Seems like she might've known Gilderoy Lockhart once before, she could've talked to him."

"Your mom knew him?" Becky asked excitedly. "Lucky! He's so amazing and good looking. Have you read his books yet?"

"Uh, no, I was planning on reading them once I got home. Why?"

"I've read some of them because my dad bought them, so I am allowed to use those for school. I just have to get the other books, and hopefully _Magical Me_."

I smiled. "I just got it. He took forever to talk to me. I was afraid the witches behind me might just push me over if I didn't leave soon enough. Apparently something about me reminded him of my mother, I guess is the way you'd put it… but I don't look like her."

"Well, the eyes –"

"Yeah, but… my face doesn't look like hers. My hair isn't even the same texture."

Becky was amused, "I'm surprised we're now looking at your characteristics when first we were talking about Gilderoy Lockhart. What, do you think you look like him instead?"

"Absolutely not… Don't even think about it!" I said.

Becky laughed. "You act like it'd be a plague."

"It would," I said seriously, "He smiles too much."

Becky gave me a look, "You w_ould_ say that."

"It's true! And his teeth are so overly white, he might've waxed them."

"Why don't you find him amazing? Look at how many awards he's won." Becky said, sounding very surprised with me.

"Oh, amazing I'm sure, but his personality _does not_ suit me."

There was a sudden thud of metal and a fight came up not so far off. It was between Lucius and what looked to be a man with red ginger hair, like Ron, Fred, and George who cheered for their dad. There were books on the ground, and one of the few in the cauldron of the young Weasley girl, probably Ron's younger sister, was Tom Riddle's diary.

_Oh no_, I thought nervously, _Lucius gave the book to her. Why?_ Was it revenge to the family for something? Well, I guess I shouldn't ponder on it, I didn't tell him a specific student to give the book to.

Hagrid came in and pushed the two apart.

Lucius held a Transfiguration book in his hand and thrust it at the Weasley girl. He said, "Here, girl – take your book – it's the best your father can give you –" He straightened himself up and beckoned Draco and I out of the shop.

I took one last glance at the group still there, and saw that Hermione stared after me.

Becky came with us out of the shop, but only after asking her parents to get her books for her. This was luckily no problem and she came with us to buy a broom for Draco.

"That Arthur Weasley and his mudblood fancies," Lucius muttered to himself angrily.

_So_… I thought, _the Weasleys must be what Lucius classifies as blood traitors. That must be why the two hate each other. They're two full pureblood families, one hates muggles and the other loves them, no wonder they're rivals._

In the shop full of brooms, Draco ran straight to a podium where I guessed was a brand new model.

"It's the Nimbus 2001!" Draco said with shock. "Father, I want this one."

Lucius looked it over and then smiled. "I can do so much more than that."

Becky and I exchanged looks as Lucius went up to the desk and talked to the manager about the broom.

"What is your dad doing?" I asked Draco who was smiling uncontrollably.

"My father and I talked about this before. In order to ensure that I'll be on the Quidditch team this year, he's buying every one of the teammates broomsticks. If he gets this, we'll be the fastest and best team." Draco was positively glowing about this. "He'll send the brooms, besides mine, to the Quidditch captain, Marcus Flint."

"What are you going to try out for?" Becky asked.

"Seeker, I'm fast enough." Draco said.

Becky thought that through and then nodded.

"Well, this is the first time you haven't insulted him to say he won't be able to do it." I noted.

"Yeah, what has changed your opinion about me?" Draco asked interestedly.

"Oh, nothing's changed my opinion about you. I know you're fast on a broom and I know Harry Potter is too, since you'll be against him. But also since you're getting the brand new fast broom, you'll definitely be faster than him." Becky said.

"Oh, right." I said thoughtfully.

"I'll beat him so quickly that he won't have even seen me." Draco said excitedly.

I smiled at his optimism.


	4. Chapter 4

Becky and I went with Draco to his house afterwards for dinner. I took a chance while Becky and Draco fought about some strange thing, Becky's parents and Lucius talked, to go find Dobby.

I walked around to see if I could find him, and when I finally did he cowered before me.

"Why did I see Harry Potter at Diagon Alley today?" I asked him confusedly.

"Dobby tried, he really did. He stopped the mail from getting to Harry Potter so he thought his friends forgot about him. When that seemed to make him still want to go to the school, Dobby went to talk to him, to reason with him, he wouldn't listen. But he's such a wonderful person… Dobby never knew –"

"It's okay, it's okay," I said, trying to keep the house elf from going into hysteria. "There's more you can do."

"Like what, miss, like what?"

"Keep him from getting on the train somehow. I don't know of any other way to school, so neither will he." I said.

"Good plan! Dobby will do it gladly."

"Great," I whispered to him, "You can just come to me if you run in to any problems. That okay with you?"

He nodded vigorously. "Anything to keep Harry Potter safe!"

Later in the night, Lucius started talking about Draco's grades again. "You better try harder this year to get work done."

Draco made as many protests as he could against this.

"What if Becky and I help him, Mr. Malfoy?" I asked, surprising him.

"Well, I suppose… what grades did you two get?"

"I got some really good marks." Becky said.

"I got full marks on everything." I said.

"She's an overachiever." Becky added.

I glanced at her, "Thanks a lot."

Becky and Draco laughed.

"You got full marks? Then yes, I would like for you to tutor him. It would be best if just you did it, too, then he doesn't have two tutors to work with." Lucius said.

"That gives me a lot of free time then." Becky said happily.

"Shut up," Draco said to her.

"I'm not the one that's likely to fail my second year." Becky said sing-songy.

Draco glared at her.

"I'm in the student tutor program at school, I could ask Professor Snape if I can start this year and request Draco as one of my students I help." I offered.

"That would be great," Lucius said with a smile, "Here, I'll write to him about it."

For the rest of the summer I stayed at home reading all my schoolbooks. The standard book of spells was much the same format as last year, whole new spells though. Yet, I learned some of these spells from Professor Snape already. The previous year he'd taught me, for the tutor program, a variety of spells varying from second year learning skills to seventh year learning skills.

Gilderoy Lockhart's books I found strange, including his autobiography which said the oddest things about him. They were things I wouldn't possibly strive to learn otherwise. Even his other books said things about him; in _Year with the Yeti_, at some point, he notes to the reader that his favorite color is lilac.

When I gave my mom his note, she read it and gave a little giddy smile, sparking my curiosity. This was even more so when she hid it in her pocket from me and Uncle Gerald and walked upstairs to hide in her room.

Why didn't I sneak a peek at the letter before giving it to her? I guess I just thought he'd given her a fan note but now it seemed to be more than that.

"Why do I have to read this rubbish mom?" I asked her one day. "His books may be about him doing amazing things, but he has to note in almost every single page about things he likes or wishes for. This isn't schoolwork for Defense Against the Dark Arts, this is a novel. I honestly don't believe he's done all this."

"I knew him when I went to school, and I remember him being this selfish. Some people never change."

"What House was he in?"

"He was in Ravenclaw with me."

I was almost shocked by this considering how immoral, I guess would be the word, he seemed to be to me. But, he did write a bunch of books about amazing things he's done, now didn't he? Yet, it seemed there was more to that.

"How smart was he?"

"Um, he could've done better at school… it wasn't that much of an easy thing for him as it usually is to Ravenclaw students."

I looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "How bad was he?"

She looked at me in the same way, "Why the sudden interest in his past? Just a moment ago you were complaining about his books being all about him."

I scoffed and left the room. "I was only curious."

When I finished the books, I almost felt relieved. I remembered everything in the books, but it meant I knew something about Professor Lockhart's class. He would be more interested in himself than anything else, and it would likely be that no one would even learn anything. I hoped I would be proved wrong.

The night before I was to get on the Hogwarts Express I had dinner with my family, just enjoying my last night with them.

"When you get back I'll quiz you on what I taught you over the summer!" grandpa told me.

"Dad, no!" mom said.

I laughed, "It'll be fine mom, and I'll remember everything perfectly well."

Uncle Gerald chuckled, "Will you be coming back for Christmas?"

"Perhaps, we'll see if I miss you enough to come back as fast as I can." I said jokingly.

The next day, my mom and Uncle Gerald brought me to the train station, grandma and grandpa said goodbye to me at the house. On the ride there I thought of how different this year would be for me. Would it be really different? Or would it somehow be the same?

We were about fifteen minutes earlier today, whereas the previous year we were a half an hour to an hour early.

We got into King's Cross Station, Uncle Gerald took a trolley and we placed my trunk and Bodoujn in his cat cage upon it. Walking to platforms nine and ten, I was the first to go through, running at the barrier and coming through the other end where there was Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

Uncle Gerald and my mom came soon afterward to help me onto the train. Draco and Becky saw and ran toward me to show us where our compartment was and we loaded my stuff in. Greg and Vincent were already in there. Although, when Becky and I went to look for Addy, we found her in a compartment with other Hufflepuffs.

"You don't want to sit with us?" Becky asked her.

Addy shook her head sorrowfully, "I have friends in my own House, too. It's probably best to hang out with them more than you."

I didn't realize this would happen, though of course it would. Slytherins and Gryffindors were enemies, and all the other Houses had the similar favorite of Gryffindor.

We went back to our own compartment where Draco, Vincent, and Greg sat on one side of the compartment together. Becky and I sat across from them, and just then the Hogwarts Express tooted a whistle and started to move. I poked my head out of the window and waved goodbye to mom and Uncle Gerald.

"I hope we have enough free time." Becky said.

"I hope so, too. It would give us more time on homework and studying." I said softly.

"That reminds me," Draco said, "Father sent the letter to Professor Snape asking for you to tutor me, and he sent one back agreeing to it."

I smiled. "Well, looks like Professor Snape is sure I know enough about tutoring. That's good news. I wonder how many students he'll let me tutor."

"He said that, too! He said that this year you'll only be allowed to tutor three students."

I nodded slowly. "So, maybe I could help you two." I said, gesturing to Vincent and Greg.

"Perfect!" Draco said.

Greg and Vincent stood up, so Draco did too.

Becky let out a sigh of exasperation. "When are you guys going to stop harassing other people?"

"I'm thinking never, but I could be wrong." Draco said with a smile. The three then left.

"Wow, okay, you know what? I feel like following them and mocking the way they make fun of people. Want to come with?" Becky asked, standing up.

"As much as I would love to see you make a fool out of Draco, I think I'll pass." I said with a smile. "Have fun, though."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Go! Have fun! Annoy Draco! But don't do it so badly that everyone will make fun of Draco, we want that privilege to stick with you."

Becky smiled maliciously and left the compartment.

Soon after, the compartment door slid open again, and there was Hermione Granger. She was already adorned in her Hogwarts robes.

"Is anyone sitting in here with you?" she asked.

"My friends, but they'll be gone a while. They're out harassing other people." I said. "What's up?"

"Ron and Harry aren't anywhere on the train. I can't find them!" Hermione said, sitting next to me. "I don't know what's happened. I saw Ginny, I saw Percy, I saw Fred and George, but not Ron and Harry!"

I pulled a confused facial expression. So Dobby succeeded in keeping Harry from coming to school, and in some such way that Ron can't coming either. If only Hermione was with those two as well.

"Have you asked Fred and George?" I asked.

"Did someone just call my name?" two red-headed people from the doorway asked.

"I can't find Ron or Harry anywhere!" Hermione screamed at them.

They came in and sat down across from. "Really? And you first came to a Slytherin instead of us?" they gaped.

"Well, don't act like I'm some strange creature!" I said to them. "You know me."

"You two know her?" Hermione asked.

"You know her?" they asked Hermione.

"Okay, yes, you all know me, but we're not here to discuss that. Did Ron and Harry come to King's Cross with you?" I asked Fred and George.

"Yes!" they said. Fred added, "We were running quite a time behind, though. When we went through the barrier, we had about a minute or two left before the train was leaving. We never saw Ron and Harry cross the barrier."

"They probably missed it, then…" I said. "I know I haven't seen them, I've even gone all the way down to where the Hufflepuffs sit and I didn't see them once."

"What were you doing with the Hufflepuffs?" Hermione asked.

"My friend Addy was down there, she's a Hufflepuff. I went down there to see if she wanted to sit with us instead… and, as you can guess, she declined." I said with a sigh. "Being a Slytherin can be sad."

"I'm sure." George said. "You're stuck with Draco for the rest of your years at Hogwarts."

I laughed. "Draco isn't bad, honestly. It's that no House likes Slytherin."

They all nodded.

"We're not all bad. My friend Becky would've been in here if she hadn't had a burning desire to mock Draco's way of taunting other people." I said.

"I like her already." George said.

"Hermione," Fred ventured, "Do Harry and Ron know that you're friends with Melody?"

"Not really. They know I know her, but they don't know we're friends."

"Well, Melody, you really have guts." George said with a smile.

I looked at him, "For what?"

"For what?! For what? You're a Slytherin, and you have three Gryffindor friends!"

I looked down at my hands. "It's not my fault I'm nice."

Everyone laughed heartily.

Soon after the three had left, my four Slytherin friends came back. I had dressed into my Hogwarts robes by then. Draco was glowering at Becky but was mostly cheerful.

"Potter and Weasley are missing. I guess they finally decided not to return." Draco said.

"Amazing. Who did you taunt, then, in the time you've been gone?" I asked.

"A couple first years." Draco said with a smirk.

I smiled and took a look out of the window while the four got themselves ready for Hogwarts. It was getting darker outside as we continued the journey, and so I knew we'd get there soon.

First years followed Hagrid along a dark path, and so I wasn't sure what we were to do now being second years. Walk a different path? I wasn't certain.

A short time later, the familiar voice of the captain echoed throughout the train. "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

"Finally," Draco said, "I'm starving!"

"I'm surprised." Becky said.

Draco scoffed, "Why?"

"With all the sweets you stole from first years, I'd have thought that was your feast. You ate those like a pig just as you did at the feast last year."

He glared at her.

"Let's all calm down." I said softly.

"This is another reason I'm glad you're my tutor this year and Becky isn't." Draco muttered softly. "She'd make fun of my mistakes."

"Well, it'd get you to work harder to not fail." Becky said with her big, Cheshire smile.

"I'd rather not." Draco said.

When the train stopped, we all left the train and followed the rest of the students to a set of stagecoaches. Though, what pulled them surprised me. They had blank, white, shining eyes; they had a dragon-like face; long, black manes; great leathery wings, and a seeming skeletal body of a great, black, winged horse. I had no idea what they were.

My friends went right into a carriage without a second glance at the creatures, and I felt confused. Was this a sort of creature that all Hogwarts students knew about?

I hesitantly came into the carriage, still peeking out of it to look at the creatures.

"Melody," Becky interrupted my thoughts, "What's wrong?"

"What are those things pulling the carriages?" I asked, still looking at them.

"Melody," Becky tapped my shoulder, causing me to look at her, "There's nothing pulling the carriages. What are you talking about?"

"But…" I began, looking at the things again. They were still there. "They're right there! How can you not see them?" I described the things to them, and none of the four knew what I was talking about.

"Are you all right?" Draco asked nervously.

I looked at the things, and then slowly shook my head as if to clear them from my thoughts. "I'm fine – just fine. Ignore me."

When we got to the castle, we filed out of the carriage and walked up the cobbled steps through the gate. Every once in a while I looked back at the creatures, they were still there pulling the carriages.

We went into the Great Hall, yet I was stopped by Professor Snape storming out. He wasn't storming out because of me, but along the way he grabbed my arm and pulled me along. I waved to my friends and fought to keep up with his strides. I hadn't seen him for three months, and I saw he really needed to talk to me.

"Professor, slow down please." I said, gasping for breath.

He slowed down, but looked irritated about it.

He was a thin man, with sallow skin, a hooked nose, and greasy, shoulder-length black hair. Something to note about him, all he wore was black robes and he was regularly referred to as cruel and sarcastic. He was Head of Slytherin House, therefore being my tutor on spells that other students my age shouldn't learn yet.

"I got a letter from Mr. Malfoy that he wishes for you to tutor Malfoy." Professor Snape said to me, still walking. It was then that I noticed a newspaper in his hand.

"Draco told me, and said your reply was yes."

"On the condition that you can only tutor three students. They _must_ all be from Slytherin House and cannot exceed second years."

"Yeah… and so I was thinking it may be a good idea for me to also tutor Vincent Crabbe and Greg Goyle." I said.

"As you wish," Professor Snape said, "Good luck with them."

"Thanks, I'll try to make sure they can keep their grades up. I don't lose my ability to tutor them if they still don't do well, right?" I asked.

"Depends. After they've failed something, I look at what your studying plan with them is. If it isn't satisfactory, I take you again for lessons on how to tutor." Professor Snape said. "If the way you study with them looks like it should've worked, I have to have a talk with the students, with you in the room."

I was silent a moment before saying, "How awkward that would be…"

When Professor Snape led me outside, that's when I wondered what was going on. "What –"

"Off to look for Potter and Weasley. They didn't arrive with the rest of the students, so it's likely they took this form of transportation." Professor Snape handed me a copy of the _Evening Prophet_. The headline was: FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES_._ To myself, I read:

_Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower… at noon in Norfolk, Mrs. Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing… Mr. Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police…_

It went on. I gave the paper back to Professor Snape.

"So, you believe it's them?"

"According to the direction in which it seems they went in order for all these sights to happen… yes. It all leads over here."

"Shouldn't I get back to the feast?" I asked.

"Go on, I'm not stopping you."

_Sometimes, there's no point in arguing with him_, I thought exasperatedly. But then I remembered, "First, I have a question."

"What?"

"W-What is it that's pulling those carriages?"

"Doesn't concern you or anyone, they get you to school from the train." Professor Snape said.

"Yes, I see they do that. Yet, it concerns me when I see something pulling the carriages and no one else seems to." I said, causing Professor Snape to give me a look but still walk along the grounds.

After a moment's consideration, Professor Snape finally said, "They're Thestrals. What I see as weird is that Thestrals are only seen by people who have seen and accepted a death."

I thought a bit, "Quirrell."

Quirrell was the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor the previous year. Throughout the year, the Dark Lord shared his body and plotted a way to get to the Sorcerer's Stone guarded within the school. Unluckily for me, my dad decided I could help him out with his scheme.

"Hm, probably likely then."

"I don't understand."

"You say you saw Quirrell die, and as for your case of seeing the Thestrals, you accept his death. Anyone who saw it would also accept it, the annoying twit he was." Professor Snape said.

I couldn't help but laugh. "True that."

A short ways off we saw Harry and Ron with their trunks looking into a window that allowed them to see into the Great Hall. I left Professor Snape to decide their doom to go back to the Great Hall.

I donned myself with the Disillusionment charm, causing my invisibility, so I could sneak in with no notice from anyone. The sorting had already begun.

I took a seat next to Becky and removed the Disillusionment charm, causing her, Draco, Vincent, and Greg to jump. I acted as though nothing happened as the first student went up to the stool to try on the hat.

"Where have you been?" Becky asked.

"Professor Snape had to talk to me about my tutoring job. And he found Harry Potter and Ron Weasley outside. Apparently they drove a bewitched car here. Perhaps to make a sort of grand entrance."

Draco scoffed, "Of course famous Potter wanted a grand entrance for the first day back to school. After that time in Flourish and Blotts."

That reminded me of Professor Lockhart. I looked up at the staff table to find him dressed in aquamarine robes and a big smile on his face. He looked out at the tables, mostly eyeing the Ravenclaws. When he looked at the Slytherin table and saw me sitting there, he made the slightest jump that no one else noticed, but then winked at me.

_Okay then_, I thought. As the sorting went on, we earned a couple Slytherin students, but I really paid no attention to it. I only noticed the part where Ginny Weasley became a Gryffindor, of course.

Then the feast began and ended. It was much like last year, the normal feast with a few words from Professor Dumbledore and then we were sent to bed.

When I had the chance, I let my friends get ahead while I fell to the back of the whole crowd of students. There was Fred, George, and Hermione. I whispered to them what I learned happened with Harry and Ron, the possibility that they may be expelled.

We went our separate ways again then. I caught up with the Slytherins so that I wouldn't miss the password for this year.

When Becky and I got to our dorm, I let Bodoujn out of his cage, lie down on my bed, and fell asleep instantly.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Becky woke me up and I looked around the dorm as I hadn't done for three months. It was the same one as last year, but now for second year Slytherin girls which was only Becky, me, and two other girls: Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode. We never talked to them much.

My bed, as well as the other three beds. An ancient four poster with pretty green silk hangings. The bedspread was embroidered with silver thread.

"We'd best get ready," Becky said to me, "Breakfast is in another half hour."

I nodded and slowly stood up to get ready.

Down at breakfast we had a surprise in store. Becky and I sat down and went to fill our plates when we suddenly heard something shouting. Draco was holding in a laugh as we turned around to see what it was.

On the floor beside Ron Weasley was a red envelope and he was looking at it, petrified. The shouting seemed to come from it. It was a woman voice and it switched many times between topics.

" – _**Stealing the car, I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd expelled you, you wait till I get hold of you, I don't suppose you stopped to think what your father and I went through when we saw it was gone – letter from Dumbledore last night, I thought your father would die of shame, we didn't bring you up to behave like this, you and Harry could both have died – absolutely disgusted – your father's facing an inquiry at work, it's entirely your fault and if you put another toe out of line we'll bring you straight back home.**_"

There was silence, a couple laughs that Draco especially added to, and then people went back to their own business.

"Did you see his face?" Draco asked us, still laughing. He mimicked Ron's expression.

"Congratulations, you have become successful in looking like one of the Weasley's kids." Becky said, giving her well-known smile.

Draco frowned.

Professor Snape then came along and handed us our schedules. We had Transfiguration first. And, added onto my schedule was tutor time with Draco, Vincent, and Greg. He had given me set time to study with them during the week.

"There's no need for tutoring during those times this week," he told the four of us, "But it would be prudent of you to start it by next week."

I nodded.

Becky took a look at my schedule and snorted. "During all this time you're tutoring them, I have time to myself. Look."

I took a look at her schedule and was surprised by all the free time she had. "Join something that takes up those times so we don't feel intimidated by all the time you have to yourself." I said.

Becky laughed. "Sure! If I can find anything so interesting."

Draco scowled. "I'm going to join the Quidditch team. I won't have all this time."

I looked at his schedule. "Be thankful. While you have free time, I'm either tutoring Vincent or Greg."

"Wait – so you have no free time?" he asked, looking at my schedule. His mouth dropped open.

"Fun year." I said shortly.

For our first day back, Professor McGonagall asked us to turn a beetle into a button. I was the only person who was able to do so with ease. It took Becky a couple of times before it fully transformed into a button; the first time she cast it, it lost its legs, second time holes appeared in it, and so on until it finally turned into a button. With Draco, he instead just levitated it. Vincent and Greg's didn't change at all.

Next was Defense Against the Dark Arts. We sat up front and Professor Lockhart winked at me and gave a charming smile.

Becky looked as though she might swoon.

To start class off, he introduced himself once again with a smile. "I am Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, and Honorary Member of the Most-Charming-Smile Award. But, let's not talk about that, it's time to learn."

Becky looked at Professor Lockhart with adoration, Draco rolled his eyes and I smirked.

Professor Lockhart took out a stack of papers and handed them out, "We're going to start today off with a little quiz – just to see how much you know from reading my books, which I assume you did before coming to school."

Draco scoffed and whispered, "No."

Once all the papers were handed out, he went back to the front of the class and said, "You may begin. I will stop you in thirty minutes time."

"Sir?" Draco asked. "Shouldn't you give us a longer time? This is three pages long."

Professor Lockhart faltered. "We have limited time in this class." He then gave a bright smile. "I suppose that is all right. I had something in store, but I guess I'll allow you all the time you need."

He winked at me.

I ignored him and looked down at the paper. It was as I had suspected over the summer when reading his books. The questions were all about him. What is his favorite color? What is his secret ambition? So on and so forth. I knew the answers to them all, but knowing all about Professor Lockhart would not help us learn Defense Against the Dark Arts.

What did Professor Dumbledore see in allowing this man to teach us?

Some ten to fifteen minutes later I finished the test and waited for the time to pass by. But, I would not get free time from Professor Lockhart so quickly. He beckoned me to the front of the class.

Whispering to me, he asked, "How is everything going for you your first day back?"

"Fine. Just fine. I see you're having a fun first day." I said, doing my best to keep things friendly. Something about him felt off, almost like how I felt with Quirrell last year. Yet, this professor obviously didn't have Voldemort on the back of his head.

"Ah, yes, quite so. Let me ask, how much do you know of me from your mother?" he asked.

_Oh no_, I thought,_ I might have to become friends with this man like I had to for Quirrell since dad was stuck with him for a body_. I kept my face as free from expression as I could without looking totally dull, pretending to like him. "Nothing. When I asked her about your time here at Hogwarts with her, she wouldn't answer to anything."

"Ah, shy your mother is. Have you noticed?" he asked with a smile, it was easy to see that he liked me.

"At times, but why be shy about you?"

He took a deep breath. "I probably shouldn't say. If your mother won't tell you, then I probably shouldn't."

"We… don't have to tell her I know. It'll be our secret. And should she find out that you told me, the blame can be placed on me. Say I asked you about your past with her and never told you that she wouldn't tell me." I said with a slight smile. I supposed charming him was the best way to win him over. "No blame should go to such an accomplished man such as yourself, you know."

It worked.

"Well, Miss Riddle! I'm – flattered! All right then… see me tomorrow morning during breakfast then. My office. Okay?"

"Sure." I said, making sure I looked excited, as I hopped back to my seat.

I sat down, and both Becky and Draco were done.

"What was that?" Becky asked.

"I never thought I'd see you skip." Draco added.

I scoffed. "That was show. I'm getting on his good side so that he'll tell me about how he and my mom knew each other, how close of friends they were… honestly though I feel like punching him in the face and calling him a selfish spotlight hogger. See how he takes the insult."

Draco was trying so hard not to laugh. Becky punched his arm and looked at me seriously.

"You should really speak of him with respect, Melody. I mean look at what he's written – the awards he's won. Now he's our teacher and he could send you to detention for calling him names and threatening to punch him.

"Have you ever met with him personally? He is annoying, he loves being in the spotlight. And, really? What teacher gives you a quiz on _themself_?" I asked.

Around a minute to the end of class, Professor Lockhart had all our tests and was looking them through. "Tut, tut, this class didn't do as well as I thought, given the entire class time to work on it. Twenty points to Slytherin, though, for Melody Riddle and Becky Figsund getting full marks on my test. Good job you two!"

Becky nodded at him dreamily.

After that we hung around outside for a short bit to smell the fresh air. Draco, Vincent, and Greg went inside so and came back with news that Harry was signing photos. Then we walked down by the greenhouses for Herbology, which we shared double with Ravenclaw. Professor Sprout directed us to greenhouse three, of which Becky whispered to us excitedly. We were never allowed in there last year, and we were told it housed much more interesting and dangerous plants than we'd seen before.

We came in and sat on the benches where there were about twenty pairs of different colored earmuffs. I sat in between Draco and Becky, taking a blue pair. Professor Sprout, a squat little witch who wore a patched hat over her flyaway hair, went to stand behind a trestle bench in the very center of the greenhouse.

"We'll be repotting Mandrakes today." Professor Sprout announced to us. "Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake?"

All the Ravenclaws raised their hand, but Professor Sprout didn't look as though she wanted to call on any of them. When no other Slytherin took a shot at it, I raised my hand and she pointed to me. "A Mandrake can be used to return people to their normal state. From a state at which they were either transfigured or cursed and so shows how powerful it is."

"Ten points to Slytherin. That is correct Miss Riddle." Professor Sprout said. "Now, can you also tell me why they are also dangerous?"

"It has a piercing cry that is extremely fatal to anybody nearby that can hear it." I said.

The Ravenclaws all dropped their hands down and seemed to look at me enviously. They really were competitive with grades.

"Another ten points to Slytherin… yet lucky for you all, the Mandrakes we'll be repotting today are only babies. Their cries are not fatal yet, they will knock you out for a few hours though." Professor Sprout pointed to a row of deep trays. The Mandrakes within had leaves of purplish green. "Now everyone put on a pair of earmuffs. I will give you a thumbs-up when it is safe to remove them."

The earmuffs snapped over my ears, blocking out all sound while Professor Sprout put on a pair of pink, fluffy ones. She held on to one of the Mandrakes very firmly and pulled as hard as possible. What came out was a Mandrake.

It had pale green, mottled skin, and was easily seen to be crying as loud as possible.

Professor Sprout then took a large plant pot and put the Mandrake firmly into it, then burying it deep under dark, damp compost. She gave us a thumbs-up and took off her own as we took ours off.

"Four to a tray – there is a large supply of pots here – compost in the sacks over there – and begin. I will tell you when it is time to pack up."

After class was over, Draco complained about all the dirt we were all now covered with. The Mandrakes weren't as easy to repot as Professor Sprout made it seem to be, they squirmed and even made attempts at biting us. Draco's actually bit his finger.

"You shouldn't have put your finger in front of its face." Becky told him.

He grumbled.

We went back to the castle quickly so as to get cleaned up. Repotting Mandrakes was much like a workout.

"Let's hope Professor Sprout doesn't do anything like that again." I said hopefully.

"Yeah, otherwise we'll have to do it for your time tutoring me." Draco said, looking nervous for it.

"Professor Snape knew you'd be on the Quidditch team, didn't he?" I asked.

He smiled, "Sort of."

"At least it means there won't be times where you'll ask to cancel with me because you have practice."

"We'll most likely go for early morning practices. Don't worry."

"I couldn't do that," I said truthfully, "I barely get out of bed now."


	6. Chapter 6

The second morning at breakfast Professor Lockhart blew me off, saying he was busy and I made sure that Draco, Greg, and Vincent knew that starting on Monday I would start tutoring them. On that same day, Professor Snape told me that my lessons with him would be on Saturdays for about five hours learning other spells.

"It will be more difficult this year," he told me, "Though most students don't start this until their fourth year, I believe you're ready. I will also have you do essays outside of our sessions."

I nodded with interest, "What sort of spells will I learn this year?"

"Varies, why ask now?"

"I'm never going to learn anything with Professor Lockhart." I said with a deep frown.

"He told me that the first test he gave you, that you and Miss Figsund got full marks."

"It was a test all about him!" I said, sitting down at a desk in front of him. "The only reason I passed it is because I paid attention to those points in the books guessing that class _would_ be all about him. Really? What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color? What is Gilderoy Lockhart's ideal birthday gift?"

Professor Snape gave a scoff.

"Professor Dumbledore has not hired a good teacher for the job." I said.

"No one else would take the job. Everyone is in the belief it is cursed. Idiots." Professor Snape said.

I laughed.

"I will teach you second year spells, though, since you believe Lockhart won't teach you anything."

"Yes, please." I said vigorously, just managing to get a small smile from Professor Snape.

"You are dismissed, Miss Riddle. Come here Saturday at noon."

"Yes, sir!" I said jokingly, hurrying out of the room and making my way to the library.

In the library, there was Hermione at a table reading _Voyages with Vampires_. I rolled my eyes before making my way over to her and sitting across the table.

She glanced up and then closed the book. "Hey."

"Hi… enjoying that book?"

"Oh, yes! This is my third time reading it."

I chuckled softly, "One of my Slytherin friends did, too. And let me guess, you really like Professor Lockhart as well."

She nodded. "He's so amazing. For class, we took the test and I got full marks! Then he took out a cage of pixies and set them loose. Harry, Ron and I got to put them all back into the cage as hands-on experience."

"So that's what he didn't get to do with us…" I said, thinking about what a havoc that would've been. "Did he actually say it was hands-on experience or did he go hide in his office?"

She wouldn't answer, so I supposed he went to hide in his office. Obviously.

"My friend, Becky, and I got full marks on his test, too." I said.

"Really? Well, aren't we the smartest in the classes!"

I nodded, feeling slight amusement. Hermione and Becky r_eally fancied_ Professor Lockhart. "Right. The only students to actually pay attention to the _important_ details in the books, _and_ reading them."

Hermione nodded happily.

"Something else interesting to learn. My mom knew him when they went here together. He was in Ravenclaw." I said.

Her mouth opened. "I should tell Harry and Ron – the part about him being in Ravenclaw – that should show them that he _of course_ knows what he's doing."

"If they think that way in the first place, I'm sure they won't let that get in the way of their thoughts. They likely won't care." I said. "We both know how stubborn they are."

She nodded. "That's true."

"Professor Lockhart's a busy man, too. I had a set time scheduled with him to talk about something and he keeps blowing it off."

"I wish he would schedule a time to talk to me. Think about how many more adventures he could tell us that he hasn't yet written!"

I mentally shivered at the thought.

"So this is how you two ladies spend your free afternoon!" exclaimed George, he sitting by me and Fred sitting next to Hermione.

"Not free for me much longer," I said, "I have scheduled time by Professor Snape to tutor."

Fred's mouth dropped open, "How much free time do you have then?"

"None during the week, but maybe a small amount of time on Saturday and all day Sunday."

"Why do you only have a little free time on Saturday?" Hermione asked.

"Professor Snape tutors me for five hours each Saturday."

I was bombarded with more questions which I answered as best as I could until I was interrupted.

"Good gosh, guys, can I get a breath?" I asked.

"You're a second year and yet you learn difficult spells and potions." George said.

"Which means that by my fourth or fifth year, I'll know as many spells and potions as a seventh year." I said.

"What would you do for your sixth and seventh year then?" Hermione asked.

"I've no clue. I guess I'll know when I get there." I said.

"By the way…" Fred said suddenly, "You were with Draco that day we went to Diagon Alley, right?"

"Yes… why?"

"Did you go to Knockturn Alley with them?"

"Yeah… what, were you stalking us?"

Then they explained that they had used Floo powder to get to Diagon Alley, and Harry had coughed before saying the name, ending up in Borgin and Burke's in Knockturn Alley. He was there when Lucius, Draco and I came in.

Floo powder… another magical thing my family taught me so I wouldn't get confused when other wizards talked about it. You would take the Floo powder, throw it in the fireplace, step in, and say the name of where you wanted to transport to. The name of the place had to be said very clearly, though, otherwise it wouldn't work.

_So that's what it was!_ I thought to myself. _Harry was inside the wardrobe. It was his fear I sensed._

Hermione whispered, "He said he recognized you because of what happened last year with _You Know Who_. We were all confused as to why you'd be with Draco and his father on their trip to Knockturn Alley."

That's when it hit me. Why _did_ Lucius allow me to come along? "Well… I'm not quite sure. He told my mom he would be able to take me to Diagon Alley to get my schoolbooks and never told her that he would go to Knockturn Alley first. I haven't even told her that he took us there first, considering how angry she may get with him."

They all slowly nodded.

"That shop though," I said softly, "It _really_ disturbed me."

Fred and George laughed out loud. The librarian shushed them, and they tried their best to stifle their laughs, their faces actually getting redder.

"_What_ is so funny about that?" Hermione asked shrilly. "From the way Harry described the shop, who wouldn't be disturbed by the shop?"

"A normal Slytherin wouldn't!" George choked out.

"Thanks guys." I said sarcastically.

They stopped laughing, but were still smiling widely. Fred explained, "We would've thought that to be a compliment for you. You a_re_ different from other Slytherins. You're friends with us and disturbed by Knockturn Alley. You aren't even unfair like the rest of them, and so you might as well be a Gryffindor."

I shook my head, smiling, "I'm no brave person. I only know I was close to being in Ravenclaw."

"You should both be Ravenclaws."

"I'd rather not. Everyone in that House is so competitive." I said distastefully. "I have Herbology with them, and I don't think they like me much."

The twins chuckled softly and Hermione rolled her eyes at them, going back to reading _Voyages with Vampires_.


	7. Chapter 7

The next few days passed by, Draco was complaining to me that he already didn't understand the work. I spent some of the time scheduled to give him explanations to homework the professors gave us, making sure he understood it much better afterwards. I asked Vincent and Greg if they needed any help yet, but they shook off my attempts.

Draco also yet asked Becky and me again and again to go watch his first Quidditch practice. It excited him to be on the team, and he wanted alibis to say how 'amazing' he'll be at it.

Saturday morning came bright and early when Becky shook me awake.

I looked at my alarm clock… it was seven. "_Why_ would you wake me up this early? I was planning on sleeping until about eleven thirty."

"Why would you want to do that, Melody? It's a beautiful day! And Draco wants us to go see his first Quidditch practice." Becky said excitedly.

"Why are you excited about that? I would be if it weren't so early, but you have no excuse."

"It's likely he'll fall off of his broom!" she said perkily.

"Not likely." I said. Soon after saying so, I lay right back down.

"Don't go to sleep. If you plan on sleeping until eleven thirty, you're going to miss breakfast."

"So what? I used to miss breakfast all the time when going to muggle school, missing it once won't hurt." I said.

Becky put her hands on her hips and looked down on me superiorly. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. You'll need your strength if you believe you will be able to stay in a room with Professor Snape for five hours. And since you'll have to miss lunch, it would be best to have a big breakfast."

I groaned and slowly sat up, "Damn it, why do you have to be right?"

She gave her big Cheshire grin and said, "Because I always am. And, it is a joy to know you are becoming more devilish!"

I glowered at her, "It's because I'm tired, I've heard sixth and seventh year students say it countless times, and you're very annoyingly perky."

Becky laughed and backed away from me.

I slowly got dressed for the day while Becky went down into the common room to wait for me. It gave me time to think to myself about how the upcoming weeks would be like after this… nonstop work. I wouldn't have any breaks until Christmas break came. I gave a soft sigh. Well, it wouldn't be much of a regular year as I'd hoped but at least there'd be no evil dad around. Just schoolwork…

When I finally finished, I went down into the common room where Becky stood impatiently waiting and we went down to the Great Hall together. Draco was stuffing as much food as he could into his mouth, and Vincent and Greg were nowhere to be seen.

Becky and I sat across from him and watched him anxiously.

"What?" he asked, scooping scrambled eggs into his mouth.

"This confirms what I've said again and again," Becky said, "That you, Draco Malfoy, are a pig."

I buttered a piece of toast as I asked, "Where are Vincent and Greg?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders as he said, "They said they have detention with Professor Snape now, but I don't know why."

"Did you ask?"

"No."

"Why not?!" Becky asked confusedly.

"It's none of my business. I never tell them why I have detention. I didn't tell them why I had detention when I went into the Forbidden Forest last year."

"That was one time." Becky said, annoyed.

"And this is one time as well, so calm down."

Becky scoffed.

I barely took a bite of my toast when there was a tapping at my shoulder and I turned to find Professor Lockhart smiling at me.

"Almost forgot!" he said perkily, grabbing my arm and taking me with him.

I looked back at Becky and Draco and mouthed, _Help Me! _They shrugged helplessly.

Once on the grounds, Professor Lockhart and faced me. I tried to finish my toast without feeling awkward, considering he stared right at me… uncomfortably.

"Melody, Melody, Melody. Why didn't you remind me about what I promised you? It's been a week."

"I have bad memory, too." I muttered, but I hadn't forgotten really. I had thought that that first day he blew me off was a gift from above saying I should just leave my mom's past with him alone. Being with him for class every day was enough to set me on edge anyways, being alone with him pushed me over the edge.

"Ah, well, we all make mistakes!" he said with a chuckle. Why did even _that_ irritate me?

"I also shouldn't talk long. I was going to go see my friend's Quidditch practice." I said, hoping he'd let me go.

"What would he care? You're with me, so he should be perfectly content with that. Besides, I promised I'd tell you about my past with your mother, Orele. We can have a walk around the grounds, and once I finish we'll go to Hagrid's, I have something I'd like to talk to him about as well." Lockhart wrapped his right arm over my shoulders, placing his hand on my right shoulder, and seemingly dragged me around the school countless times talking nonstop to me:

_It was when I went to get my wand. Ollivander was there with his two kids. I supposed he wanted them to observe how he did his job and that's exactly what they were doing, they were very bored, too. At least that's how I saw it with the first few first years going into the shop before me._

_When I came in, your mother suddenly became interested. Now, I wasn't as good looking then, so I didn't know why she was suddenly "awake" when I came in._

_It took a while to find a wand before Ollivander decided to take this really expensive one out. Beautifully carved and extremely perfect for me the moment it touched my hands._

_I left the shop and didn't have anything more to do with the wizarding world until getting on the Hogwarts Express._

_Of course, I had __**no**__ friends to hang out with as I didn't know anybody. Not too well, anyways… once the train started moving, your mother and another guy came into my compartment and asked very politely if they could sit with me. I had no problem with it, beautiful as your mother already was at age eleven. The other kid was a fine person, and I could tell he was bald though he wore a turban._

_She sat across from me and asked, "What's your name?" An innocent question…_

"_G-Gilderoy Lockhart," I said softly, cursing my shyness with her. This was part of the reason I usually made no friends, yet she was still eager to talk to me. Bless her soul!_

_She held her hand out to me, "Orele. Orele Ollivander."_

_I hesitantly shook her hand. Her smile encouraged me, and she looked to be a very happy person. This made me feel eons better about making friends._

_The boy held his hand out for me, which I took, and said, "Quirinus Quirrell. It's nice to meet you, Gilderoy."_

_We talked for the rest of the trip, becoming closer as friends than I'd been with anyone._

_The Sorting Hat was placed upon my head and instantly said Ravenclaw, which was a surprise to me. Orele had told me it was a House for the smartest and the cleverest, I hadn't thought of myself in that way._

_I waited patiently for Orele and Quirinus to be sorted, worrying slightly that I'd be all alone in the House. What I did notice, though, was that her brother was at the Ravenclaw table. He caught my eye and winked._

_My happiness in all of it was that both Orele and Quirinus were sorted into Ravenclaw with me and skipped over to sit next to me. I felt so popular._

_The years went by… I wasn't as good in school as the rest of my House. Hah, it was hard to get into my common room, so I stuck close to Orele and Quirinus._

_By our second year, you wouldn't believe how close Orele had also gotten with a couple Slytherin students. They were Snape, Malfoy, the Lestranges, Crabbe, Goyle, and etc. etc. Quirinus and I were very left out as you can well guess._

_In summer before our fifth year of Hogwarts, she was having problems staying home with her father and brother, so she hung about at my home for a bit. We talked a while, sitting around in my bedroom, and I finally plucked up the courage to do something I had wanted to do for a while… I kissed her._

_You can very well imagine she was the most beautiful young lady then, and I had been growing ever fonder of her during the years. She was the sweetest and most amazing girl I had ever met, and I let her know that. The best part was she really loved me too._

_At the end of our seventh year at Hogwarts we got engaged. You probably can't guess how happy I was, I am positive I was the happiest man alive. We were engaged for a year before Orele broke it off, and she was very urgent about it, too._

_I kept asking her why, and all she said was she'd found someone else she loved more. I was heartbroken. Just you wait until your heart is broken, then you'll know how I felt. I never saw her again, and now that we're talking again I feel very happy. Especially knowing she's single again… though it's funny I never met your father._

Just then Professor Lockhart started dragging me toward Hagrid's hut. I didn't feel that he'd entirely told me the truth about it, but that most of it _was_ true. I knew, though, who it was that mother left Professor Lockhart for… and it was all a surprise to know she was close friends with both Gilderoy Lockhart and Quirinus Quirrell.

"Did you ever hear from Quirinus again?" I asked.

"No, not a soul about him until hearing that he died last year. You know something of that, correct?" Professor Lockhart looked superior to me, as though I probably didn't pay attention to this set of news.

"Hear of it? Professor… I saw him die, right before my eyes." I said.

Professor Lockhart looked down at me in shock and then gave a nervous laugh just as we reached the door of Hagrid's hut. He shook off the bit of news to smile and knock on the door.

Hagrid opened the door and acquiescently let us in.

Professor Lockhart forcibly placed me in one of Hagrid's chairs and I had to suppress myself from glaring at him. I was probably missing Draco's practice right now.

In the time Professor Lockhart spoke with Hagrid, I thought back on what he told me. My mom had become close friends with Slytherin students of their year… and I knew all of the people he'd said except for the Lestranges. Who were the Lestranges?

The most important questions I realized I should ask wouldn't be about the Lestranges. Why did she become the closest of friends to Slytherins? Did dad make mom break off the engagement with Professor Lockhart so he could have her? The Dark Lord had to have whatever he wanted it seemed, no matter the possible consequences.

Yet, another one was… why would Professor Lockhart choose to go on adventures and write books about them after something so drastic happened to him?

"I can' believe that! Harry is more famous than you without tryin'!" Hagrid said.

Professor Lockhart looked aghast. As if no one had ever said such a terrible insult directed toward him.

"An' I won' ever read one of your books." Hagrid added.

"Well, I'd best go," Professor Lockhart said suddenly, "I have some business to get to."

Hagrid opened the door for him and closed it right behind him. We could hear him add some last remarks.

"It's a simple matter if you know what you're doing! If you need help, you know where I am! I'll let you have a copy of my book. I'm surprised you haven't already got one – I'll sign one tonight and send it over. Well, good-bye!"

I gave out a sigh. Professor Lockhart had forgotten about me. Hagrid did too.

He gave a jump. "Well? Don' you want ter go with him? Yeh did come here with him, didn't ya?"

"No, thank you," I said with a vigorous shake of my head, "I didn't want to be with him in the first place… I'd rather wait until I'm sure he's in the castle before –"

There was a knock at the door. I winced, hoping it wasn't Professor Lockhart.

Hagrid grumpily answered the door, and when his expression brightened I let out a breath of exhilaration. It wasn't likely that he'd give that look to Professor Lockhart should he come back.

"Bin wonderin' when you'd come ter see me – come in, come in – thought you mighta bin Professor Lockhart back again –"

Into the hut came Harry and Hermione supporting a green-faced Ron. Harry explained to Hagrid that Ron had been sending a spell at someone but it backfired on him, and Hermione had been surprised as to notice me sitting there.

I gave a small smile and a wave of my hand, feeling awkward. Realizing Hagrid had been about ready to forget about me as well.

"What are you doing here?" she asked me.

"I came with Professor Lockhart, he insisted he had to tell me something and then brought me down here. He forgot about me in his haste to leave… I could leave if you'd like though." I offered.

"No," Hermione said, sitting next to me, "Stay."

_Okay_, I thought with a little shock.

"Better out than in. Get 'em all up, Ron." Hagrid said cheerfully, putting a large copper basin in front of Ron who threw up slugs into it.

Hermione was anxious as she said, "I don't think there's anything to do except wait for it to stop. That's a difficult curse to work at the best of time, but with a broken wand –"

Ron was preoccupied with throwing up slugs while Harry glanced at me curiously, petting Hagrid's boarhound, Fang.

Hagrid went to making tea.

Harry then asked, "What did Lockhart want with you, Hagrid?"

Hagrid growled at the thought of Professor Lockhart and, setting the teapot in the place of a half-plucked rooster, said, "Givin' me advice on gettin' kelpies out of a well. Like I don' know. An' bangin' on about some banshee he banished. If one word of it was true, I'll eat my kettle."

Hermione, of course, defended Professor Lockhart. "I think you're being a bit unfair. Professor Dumbledore obviously thought he was the best man for the job –"

"He was the _on'y _man for the job. An' I mean the _on'y _one. Gettin' very difficult ter find anyone fer the Dark Arts job. People aren't too keen ter take it on, see. They're startin' ter think it's jinxed. No one's lasted fer a while now. So tell me," Hagrid had offered everyone a plate of treacle fudge, which I politely refused, and now jerked his head at Rom. "Who was he tryin' to curse?"

"Malfoy called Hermione something – it must've been really bad, because everyone went wild." Harry explained.

Ron was hoarse as he continued with a better explanation, "It _was_ bad. Malfoy called her a 'Mudblood,' Hagrid –" and he disappeared in the basin again.

I gave a small gasp. Draco…

"He didn'!" Hagrid growled angrily.

"He did. But I don't know what it means. I could tell it was really rude, of course –" Hermione said.

Ron said, "It's about the most insulting thing he could think of. Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born – you know, non-magic parents. There are some wizards – like Malfoy's family – who think they're better than everyone else because they're what people call pure-blood. I mean, the rest of us know it doesn't make any difference at all. Look at Neville Longbottom – he's pure-blood and he can hardly stand a cauldron the right way up."

"An' they haven't invented a spell our Hermione can' do." Hagrid said proudly.

Hermione went magenta. I gave a small smile to her.

"It's a disgusting thing to call someone. Dirty blood, see. Common blood. It's ridiculous. Most wizards these days are half-blood anyway. If we hadn't married Muggles we'd've died out." Ron said.

"Well, I don' blame yeh fer tryin' ter curse him, Ron. Bu' maybe it was a good thing yer wand backfired. 'Spect Lucius Malfoy would've come marchin' up ter school if yeh'd cursed his son. Least yer not in trouble." Hagrid said. Then, abruptly, he looked to Harry. "Harry. Gotta bone ter pick with yeh. I've heard you've bin givin' out signed photos. How come I haven't got one?"

Harry was furious, "I have _not_ been giving out signed photos. If Lockhart's still spreading that around –"

Hagrid laughed and patted Harry on the back, accidentally sending Harry face first into the table. "I'm on'y jokin' I knew yeh hadn't really. I told Lockhart yeh didn' need teh. Yer more famous than him without tryin'."

"Bet he didn't like that."

"Don' think he did. An' then I told him I'd never read one o' his books an' he decided ter go." Hagrid's eyes were twinkling. "Treacle Fudge, Ron?"

"No thanks. Better not risk it." Ron said weakly.

"Come an' see what I've bin growin'." Hagrid said.

We went outside and I made my way right towards the castle. Hermione stopped me before I could get far.

"I should probably tell Harry and Ron you're all right to hang around. I think that's better than hiding behind their backs much longer."

"Yeah… you can do that." I said with a smile. "Hey, I'm sorry about what Draco said, that was uncalled for… but, you learn words easily when older students repeat them again and again."

Hermione nodded slowly. "Draco's apology would've been better."

"Well, we both know it's probably not likely for him to ever do that."

"Right… where are you off to?" she asked.

"Considering I missed Draco's Quidditch practice he practically begged me to come to, I have the time to get ready for my weekly lesson with Professor Snape." I said. "Enjoy your weekend."

Professor Snape's lesson had been a lot of work. He was being very meticulous about how much time I was to spend on the things he taught me and I wondered if he was certain I would be able to survive Hogwarts if I got any more work than what he gave me for this year. I learned quite a lot though.

Right after that, I ran into Professor Lockhart who beamed at me. I almost glared at him again.

"You'd forgotten me in Hagrid's hut earlier." I said, walking away.

Professor Lockhart caught up to me and, still bright, said, "Sorry about that. I could make it up to you tonight… I am giving Harry Potter a detention and you could come down and spend time with us. Wouldn't that be fantastic for you? Two celebrities with you in one room?"

"I'll pass." I said, walking faster.

"Stop walking!" he said, demanding.

Knowing he was a professor, I stopped and turned to face him. "Yes?"

"You probably don't like me because you feel I might take your mother away from you, that I'll replace your father. I know how you feel but don't think that way… you could just think of me as a second father. Besides, who wouldn't want to be related to me?" Professor Lockhart gave a bright smile.

I looked at him with shock. "First of all," I said, "I didn't remember hearing anything about you two already planning for a wedding. And second of all, you can't inference that that's why I'm walking quickly."

"Then why?" he asked.

I thought quick and then said, "After you pulled me from my friends, I'm sure they'd like to know why I haven't been with them."

"What about for the past hours since then?"

"I have lessons with Professor Snape on spells and potions meant for students older than me."

His mouth dropped open in wonder. "Why are you not in Ravenclaw?"

I walked away, "Ask the hat."

Later that night, I was still awake doing homework with my friends. I had finished all the week's work, but I was working on Professor Snape's essays.

Suddenly, I heard a voice. It was cold and bone-chilling. No one else seemed to hear it. I could tell, though, it was in Parseltongue, from the many nights I spent the previous year talking to dad in that language. But dad's voice with me was nowhere near as awful as the intent of this voice.

"Come… come to me…. Let me rip you…. Let me tear you…. Let me kill you…."

I sat there, listening for more to be said.

Suddenly I stopped listening for it and saw my friends were staring at me nervously. _Did _they hear it? Was I not going mad?

"Are you okay?" Becky asked anxiously.

"You're white as a sheet." Draco added.

"I…" I said, not knowing what to say. "I'll be right back."

Vincent and Greg tried to bar my way out as I made my way to get out into the corridors. I simply gave the best dangerous voice I could.

"I_ have_ to go."

Out in the corridors, I donned myself with the Disillusionment charm. Then I walked around a bit to make sure there was no one close by before I spoke in Parseltongue.

"Where are you? I must find you…"

"Follow my voice…" it said, and I followed where it first seemed to come from. It would make a comment every once in a while like "this way" or "over here."

I was nervous, but I knew I had to get to the bottom of it. How many other people spoke Parseltongue like me and dad? No one… right?

I finally found myself at a girls' bathroom in a deserted corner of the school. It said 'out of order' on the front of it, but I went on in. In there was a great big snake… and young Ginny Weasley looking hypnotized.


	8. Chapter 8

"Oh," I said in English, "Great."

The snake looked at me and said in Parseltongue, "Kill… kill…"

"There will be no killing tonight!" I said back in Parseltongue. Looking over at Ginny, she didn't look the least bit frightened… but hypnotized… as if she was under control of something. Another thing to note was that she was looking down at her feet instead of at the snake. "What's going on?"

The snake, large and with poisonous green skin looked at me. Its yellow eyes gleaming in the night… yet it seemed there was more to its eyes than mine could see. Then the snake looked at me curiously, as though I was some strange creature, and then it seemed to bow its head at me.

I looked away from it to Ginny. She was walking away from me in what looked a slow, deathly walk. I ran and held on to her shoulder turning her around… she held the diary.

Taking it away from her, and finding an ink bottle and a quill in her pocket, I sat her down next to me on the bathroom floor and opened the diary to see what was so important about it. As Lucius Malfoy had said, there was nothing in it.

Dipping the quill in the ink, I wrote in the diary, "Hello."

To my surprise, my words disappeared from the page and new words came up. "_Hello Ginny. How are you feeling right now?_"

"This isn't Ginny. But I am certainly wondering how it is there is a large snake in the out of order girls' bathroom."

"_Who is this, then, and how is it the Basilisk hasn't killed you?_"

A Basilisk! My mom had told me a story when I was little about Basilisks… yet she said it was a myth when it really wasn't. It was said that if you looked into its eyes, you died, but if you only saw its eyes through a reflection of something, you would be petrified.

"Honestly," I said, "I'm quite surprised… I looked into its eyes and nothing happened. But, who are you, controlling this young first year who couldn't possibly be that much help to you?"

"_Tell me who you are first and then I'll tell you… of course, I'll have to find some other way to kill you_."

"Why kill me? My name is Melody Riddle… I am your daughter, Tom Riddle, better known as Lord Voldemort."

There was a pause. Then, "_Melody… what year are you in at school?_"

My heart was pounding in my chest, to have to talk to my dad again… yet this time a young version of him. No one else could say they've done that. "I'm only in my second year here at Hogwarts."

"_How can I know for sure that you are my daughter, Melody?_"

"I can speak Parseltongue… and as I've heard from many others, I look just like you with only some slight differences that are like my mom's."

"_Let me see you with my own eyes…_"

How would he do that? I wondered about this until suddenly, I realized what he had meant. A window suddenly appeared in the diary and I was aggressively pulled in. When I landed on hard ground, there was nothing around me until I saw a figure walk toward me.

Tom Riddle stood there before me. He looked to be around the age of sixteen and looked very handsome. He had jet black hair and a silver prefect's badge shining on his chest. So… I thought… this would've been how he'd looked if he hadn't lost his powers from trying to kill Harry Potter.

"Speak," he said to me in Parseltongue, yet he looked surprised upon seeing my face.

"Yes, dad… I _can_ speak Parseltongue." I said in Parseltongue.

He smiled, it was warm and looked as though it tried to be loving, but wasn't truly. I knew this face even when he was on the back of Quirrell's head, looking more like a snake than anything. I knew it was fake because I knew he didn't know how to love.

I hid my emotions, as it was easily seen that this young man didn't know how to read my face. I smiled an evil smile, "You may try to look loving, but I know you're not."

Tom Riddle laughed a long, cold, harsh laugh. I felt the hairs on the back of my head stand up, but I watched him with coldness in my own eyes. He was trying to scare me.

"Oh, you a_re_ my daughter, Melody. I am _proud_ to see there is someone with my views on life."

"I am as you'd taught me last year," I said, crossing my arms, "I have the knowledge that there is no love, no good or evil. There is power… power that all else is too weak to see and try going after. You, the Dark Lord, are the most powerful man alive even as I've tried to help you get back to your original glory."

He smiled, I flattered him. "How long have you known I am you father?"

"Since last year… no one else knows that I know. You told me you wanted to keep it that way until you had all the power to keep me safe from all else."

He nodded, "Smart."

"Your diary also wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for me. I got one of your most devoted followers to put the diary into the hands of a student going here, and so you were given to Ginny Weasley."

"No wonder… she gets very boring, though, I must say. Telling me _all_ of her worries… especially of her feelings for someone in your year. A famous someone…"

"Harry Potter." I said, my voice spewing out hatred. I had to admit, I was a good actress.

"Ah, so you know of him?"

"He _led_ you to your downfall, how could I not?"

Tom put a hand on my shoulder and looked into my eyes. "I realize… Ginny Weasley has told me all about him, yet she doesn't know _I_ am the Dark Lord. His past… there is something familiar about your eyes."

"My grandfather is the one who gave you your wand. Yew, thirteen and a half inches, phoenix feather core."

"He had a daughter?"

I nodded. "She was born about twenty years after you, and she's very beautiful. You stole her heart when she was engaged to someone else… and you got her instead."

I bet he was thinking it was a good thing, too. I had his thoughts in life… so he thought.

He changed the subject, though, "You're in Slytherin."

"Yes," I said, almost shocked but then realized my robes had the crest on it. "It's the best House for me."

"The best House for _all_ the heirs of Salazar Slytherin." Tom ran his fingers through my hair, a gentle move, and I was suddenly back in the girls' bathroom.

The snake was gone and Ginny Weasley was looking at me with fear, watching the diary.

I gave it back to her, "Don't worry," I said softly, caring, "The secret is safe with me."

She looked at the diary in her hand, "Tom Riddle is the only one I can share everything with."

"I know… that's just how wonderful of a person he was."

Ginny looked up at me.

"Hello," I said giving her an encouraging smile, "My name is Melody Riddle."

September came to its end and I had spent all of my free time tutoring Draco, Vincent, or Crabbe. They and Becky were still worrying about that night I had suddenly left the common room, but I wouldn't answer any of their questions. They eventually let it go.

In October, the air outside started getting a little chilly, and a lot of people were suddenly getting colds which kept Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, busy giving everyone Pepperup potion. But, the effect of the potion was that the drinker's ears would be smoking for hours after taking it.

Ginny met me in the out of order girls' bathroom during a Saturday and I could tell she'd taken it for there was steam pouring out from under her hair. With her red hair it looked as though her head could be on fire.

"I didn't get the impression that you got a cold." I said, trying not to laugh. It looked a little ridiculous.

"Percy said I was looking pale, and so he bullied me into taking it!" she said, tears filling her eyes.

I did my best to comfort her. She really was quite a troubled first year. I didn't remember being like this… Well, of course I didn't. I never let out my problems and feelings to anybody, especially when dad suddenly took over my life.

The rain pattering on the window gave another soothing environment, though it had been raining for days on end. In the Slytherin dorms, the sound of the lake's waves was increased.

"You and your dad are the only people I feel safe with…" Ginny murmured.

I had had my arms around her for a bit, to comfort her. I felt it was only fair, taking into consideration the fact that she didn't know she was opening the Chamber of Secrets again this year, letting the Basilisk out after fifty years.

Though, of course, my dad was only a memory in the diary's pages. And Ginny didn't realize he was slowly taking over her body… how was I to save her from this monstrosity? I didn't have to worry much about keeping anyone safe last year, but this year… I had to save all the Muggle-borns, Ginny, and Harry Potter.

Tom Riddle was interested in Harry after learning he had defeated his future self when only a baby. He had asked me several times if I knew how Harry had done that, but I didn't know anything more than he did.

"I wish I'd had him last year." I lied for her sake. I really wish my dad would stop interfering with my life.

Later we both left the bathroom and I spent five hours with Professor Snape, leaving him with a crammed brain and three essays to do.

As I went to the library, considering my friends finished their homework and I now had extra, I found Peeves floating around a classroom looking giddy. He saw me and looked about ready to disappear.

I crossed my arms, "I've about had enough of you floating away as fast as you can to get away from me. _Why_ are you afraid of me?"

"I'll never tell, ickle second year!" Peeves said nervously.

"Right, I'm an ickle second year student. I can't do anything to hurt you."

Another ghost suddenly appeared in the room, in a hurry, and asked Peeves, "I need you to distract Filch."

"I should really not follow your direction." Peeves said sniffily. "I will annoy him when I please."

The ghost who asked, I realized, was Nearly Headless Nick, though he didn't like being called that. Just Nick, the Gryffindor House ghost. He wore a plumed hat on his long curly hair and a tunic with a ruff. The reason he was best known as Nearly Headless Nick was because his neck was almost completely severed from the rest of his body.

"Where's Filch now?" I asked.

Nick was surprised to hear I was there and he turned to face me. I knew he could tell I was a Slytherin. "In his office, right beneath this classroom and he has a friend of mine. He might give them detention for no reason."

I nodded and gave a smile. "Peeves," I announced, looking around the room and pointed at a cabinet, "Knock that over… you know how much you want Argus annoyed."

Peeves looked at it, and then smiled and gave me a salute. "With pleasure!"

Nick looked at me with a surprised look on his face.

Peeves knocked the cabinet over creating a great big bang and, though Argus was a floor below us we could hear him shout, "_Peeves_! I'll have you this time, I'll have you!"

"You should probably leave this room. If Filch sees you then you'll have detention instead." Nick said.

I smiled and donned myself with the Disillusionment charm, "I won't take chances."

I left the room and went in an opposite direction from where Argus would take the stairs to get to this classroom. Nick followed, and once out of sight I removed the Disillusionment charm.

"How is it that Peeves did as you said?" he asked interestedly.

"I don't know… it's as if he's afraid of me, and I don't even know why he would be. I'm a second year student and I can't possibly do anything to him. Who did I help out?"

"You would probably be very unhappy knowing who it was."

"Try me." I said with a smile.

"… Harry Potter."

"Hm. Cool."

"But you're a Slytherin. You can't possibly be happy to have helped Harry Potter out of getting a detention. He could've lost Gryffindor some points."

I shrugged, "I'm not like other Slytherins I don't wish the worst to other Houses. I don't even care about House points."

After that I went to the library where I sat a while, just thinking to myself. I was _really_ stupid to think I'd be free from all problems with my dad this year. Yeah, right! I'd probably have to live with hearing something from him for the rest of my life. Though… of course I didn't believe I'd be talking to his past self, I couldn't argue with myself on that.

I probably couldn't stop this version of my dad either. It'd probably be Harry Potter again…

I stuffed my nose into a book so as to look as though I wasn't just going to sit there for hours. The librarian was already looking at me suspiciously. Then, in realization, I pulled out all the work I had to do for Professor Snape.

A little later on Hermione, Fred, and George suddenly appeared and sat with me. Fred and George were laughing uncontrollably.

"What's up?" I asked amusedly.

"We rescued a fire-dwelling lizard from our Care of Magical Creatures class. Percy was angry with us when it went up into the air and let out a bunch of loud sparks and bangs. It was hilarious!" George said.

"You shouldn't have brought it inside." Hermione said disapprovingly.

"Ah, come off it! You're just like Percy." Fred said.

She rolled her eyes.

"Fred, George," I said, feeling slightly annoyed myself, "I have three essays to do for Professor Snape. So either you go away or stay and be quiet."

They laughed, stood up and said jokingly, "As you wish, Melody."

"Come off it." I said, making them laugh harder.

They soon left and I looked over the essay prompts, feeling slightly overwhelmed by all the work Professor Snape expected me to do.

After a while, Hermione asked, "What do you plan on doing on Halloween night?"

I looked up in surprise, "Nothing much, just going to the feast. Why ask?"

"Harry was invited by Nick – the Gryffindor House ghost – to his deathday party. Ron and I are going with him." Hermione said excitedly.

Interesting… "I didn't realize ghosts would have deathday parties… I suppose it makes sense, like for birthdays."

"I can't think of how many live people would ever say they'd been to a deathday party."

"Well… I suppose now that you three will."

"You could, too, if you'd like…" Hermione said softly. "Harry and Ron may think of you as more of a friend if they get to know you as more than just a Slytherin."

I smiled. "I… may have to pass on that sorry to say. You know for deathday parties, it's likely they don't have sustenance for living people. They can't eat what we can." That wasn't all there was to my reason for not going, though that was it. But… Tom Riddle wanted Ginny and me to release the Basilisk – see who it attacks. Halloween night would never be a good night for me at Hogwarts it seems, thinking about the previous year.

"Oh…" Hermione said softly, "I didn't think about that."

"You could probably go to the feast and get some food before going." I suggested.

"But then what would we say when all three of us try to leave?" Hermione asked.

I shrugged. What could I know?

The Great Hall was filled with live bats as usual, as well as the vast pumpkins from Hagrid's patch which had been carved into lanterns that were large enough for a number of people to fit in.

The feast was as usual, and I ate happily, watching Ginny every once in a while to make sure when it was time to go.

"Boy, have I been starving!" Draco said.

"I don't know why… you ate a big lunch." Becky said.

Draco gave her a dignified look. "No I didn't. You're just so stuck on believing that I eat more than I should."

As the two bickered endlessly, I noticed Ginny suddenly stiffen and then walk on out. I made sure no one paid attention before I donned myself with the Disillusionment charm and followed her.

We reached the girls' bathroom and Ginny stayed off to the side while I went to one of the copper taps with a snake engraved in it.

I said in Parseltongue, "Open." The tap then glowed as a brilliant, white light and spun around, the sink sank out of sight and a large pipe was exposed. "Come, precious Basilisk come. Go satisfy your hunger." I felt absolutely evil. It was awful.

The Basilisk came through and zipped out the bathroom door, held open by Ginny. I followed Ginny out and the Basilisk just sat around in the corner.

"_... rip… tear… kill… soo hungry… for so long… kill… time to kill…_"

I left Ginny by the bathroom door and walked around the Basilisk, seeing a horrifying sight. Lying on the floor next to a puddle of water was Argus's cat, Mrs. Norris. She was petrified.

"Go back into the chamber." I said to the Basilisk in Parseltongue. To Ginny I said in English, "Open the bathroom door."

Argus Filch would _not_ be happy.

The Basilisk looked very unhappy, itself, about my telling it to go back, I could tell. It said "_… I smell blood… __**I smell blood**_!"

"I don't care _what_ you smell!" I said to it. "Go back into the chamber. I will let you out another time."

Acquiescently the Basilisk made its way into the bathroom and Ginny closed it. I brought my attention back to Mrs. Norris. I picked her up and went to a torch bracket nearby, moving her tail to the best of my ability without breaking it so that she hung from it by her tail. I hoped she wouldn't fall.

When I finished, I suddenly saw Ginny write something on the wall with red paint. When she was finished, I read:

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN

OPENED, ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps, and I grabbed Ginny, donning the Disillusionment charm over both of us, and backed into a corner.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione ran into sight and stopped.

"Harry, _what_ was that all about? I couldn't hear anything…" Ron asked exhaustedly.

Could Harry hear the Basilisk?!

Hermione suddenly gasped and pointed at the writing on the wall, "_Look_!"

As they read it, I saw their eyes widen with fright.

"What's that thing – hanging underneath?" Ron asked nervously.

They walked nearer to the writing, Harry almost slipping on the puddle of water. They looked at Mrs. Norris and jumped backward, nervously staring at her for a short while.

Ron suddenly said, "Let's get out of here."

"Shouldn't we try and help –" Harry started to ask.

"Trust me. We don't want to be found here." Ron said.

But it was too late.

I edged toward the door of the girls' bathroom as there was a sudden thunder of footsteps as people came from the feast. I made sure that Harry, Ron, and Hermione weren't looking my way, and no one had yet turned the corner into the hallway, before I slipped Ginny and I into the bathroom.

I removed the Disillusionment charm and hurried to close the chamber. In case anyone should come in and wonder what it was.

Ginny was still in hypnotized mode.

I whispered to her our plan, and the ending was that she would get into her common room and then break out of her trance. She nodded robotically.

I hated myself. I followed dad's orders again instead of just saying no.


	9. Chapter 9

For days afterward, all everyone talked about was the attack on Mrs. Norris. Every time Becky tried to ask me about what happened to me on the night of Halloween, Draco would suddenly butt in about the attack. He was very excited about the knowledge that the Chamber of Secrets had opened.

I was walking through the corridors alone once when Argus suddenly lunged out at me from around a corner. In realizing it was only me, he calmed down. His eyes were extremely red from crying, and it was obvious he wasn't sleeping at night.

"A-Are you all right?" I asked him concernedly. When he didn't answer, I said, "I heard about Mrs. Norris… I'm so sorry."

"I wanted to see _punishment_ of the students who did it, but Dumbledore went on about us having 'no evidence' and just let them go." Argus said, starting to walk away. "Said she's petrified and that no student could've done such a thing to her."

"Did he say there was any possible way to cure her?" I asked.

"The Mandrakes… I suppose you know how they could be used. We'll have to wait until they've fully grown."

"… If it's any consolation, I know I couldn't have been able to do such a thing to Mrs. Norris – wouldn't want to. And, if I can't, then the three Gryffindors most likely couldn't have."

"I want to see punishment of _someone_ for doing this to my cat." Argus said persistently.

I looked down at my feet nervously. Would he still want to see punishment if he knew I let out the thing doing it? On purpose, even? He favored me from all other students since last year, so…

I left him to his sorrow, not knowing anything I could say to help him feel better.

Ginny herself wasn't doing well. After hearing of the attack, she felt bad. Though not knowing she was really a part of it, she was also a great cat lover.

She complained to me that her brother, Ron, had tried to assure her that everyone was much better off without Mrs. Norris. He had foolishly added in hope that whatever it was that petrified Mrs. Norris would petrify Argus Filch, too, but when Ginny looked ready to freak out he quickly added, "I'm only joking –"

I had to wonder throughout the past couple days, whenever I had my free time, if I could have some way to prevent the Basilisk from killing anyone. It was lucky that Mrs. Norris had been looking into a puddle of water when the Basilisk came out, so she was only petrified rather than killed. Good luck for Argus, though he was still unhappy about the whole thing. I wasn't quite sure…

"Melody!" I heard suddenly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Draco held out his History of Magic homework in front of me. I checked the clock. He was right on time for our tutoring lesson.

"You have a question?" I asked.

"Yes… okay, so I did the composition on 'The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards' and I forgot how long he wants it to be. So I just want to know that before you look it through."

"Professor Binns wanted it to be at least three feet." I still remembered checking mine and learning I did about five feet. There was a lot to know about the subject.

Draco took his time measuring his composition and then sighed with relief. "It's three feet four inches."

"Great!" I said as he handed me the composition. After a while I said, "You've really improved on your work, I'm impressed. There was a lot of work put into this. I say Professor Binns will give you full marks on this."

"Really?" Draco asked excitedly. He gave a whoop and started dancing around with a, "Yes!"

Becky walked in and sat next to me muttering, "Buffoon."

"Hey…" Draco said to her warningly. Then he turned back to me, "How about Crabbe and Goyle? How did they do on theirs?"

"Not nearly so well, they didn't understand _anything_. Weren't even paying attention in Professor Binns' class… Professor Snape won't be happy with them. I've tried everything to make homework their priority, but they've ignored my help."

Draco gave more laughter. "I'm the best student, then."

"Yes, good for you, the tutor's pet." Becky said with a smirk.

Draco's frowned and his face reddened considerably. He instantly left the room.

Becky laughed. "Oh, that was the best expression he's ever given!"

"And just what was that about?" I asked curiously.

"Nothing!" Becky said, sing-songy. "Although, now I can ask about what happened to you on Halloween night, considering you suddenly disappeared in the middle of the feast."

I thought quickly. "Did you see Professor Lockhart at the feast?"

Becky was silent a moment, pondering this, before saying, "No… but let me guess, he suddenly grabbed you before you could say anything?"

"You know how he is." I said with a nod, happy to have an alibi.

"I would ask what he wanted to talk about, but I'm sure it's only about your mother."

I rolled my eyes. "He fancies her. Wants to get on my good side."

Becky laughed, "It would be so cool if they get married. You'd become famous."

I raised my eyebrows, "I think I'm famous enough being the grand-daughter of Ollivander. I don't need to be the stepdaughter of infamous Gilderoy Lockhart, too."


	10. Chapter 10

I was extremely tired of Professor Lockhart's classes. All we did now was listen to him read passages from his book, and he always asked for volunteers to help him act it out. He always called on me first, and since I always muttered no, he'd call on someone else. No one but me dared to tell him 'no.'

During one class he was describing his defeat of a werewolf, which Becky was picked on to play. I didn't listen to any of it, already having read Wanderings with Werewolves. The only things I heard was him give Slytherin twenty points for Becky's perfect performance and say our homework was to compose a poem about his defeat of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf.

Just as I was about to leave with my friends, Professor Lockhart called out, "Melody! I'd like a word with you…"

I sighed and stayed behind.

"Why don't you ever let me volunteer you to act out –" he began.

"I don't act things out, Professor. I'm not like Becky where I act things out flawlessly." I lied, sitting down atop a desk.

"What do you like to do, then?"

"Read," I said simply, "I read your books over the summer so as to be caught up in class. They're very memorable stories, but they're very unlike what normal schoolbooks are."

"Y-You are very unlike your mother… most students actually."

"Oh, I can think of a couple." I said, grabbing my stuff so as to leave. "Something I may add to your surprise at how I am… do you ever think about the fact I could be more like my dad?"

"That's what's so frightening." I heard him mutter, causing me to stop from my current trek out the door, my back facing him.

I turned to Professor Lockhart with the best confused expression I could muster. He turned white as a sheet. "What do you mean? Y-You knew my dad? A-And you didn't like him I take it?"

"J-Just for the fact that he stole your mother from me, Melody. I h-honestly only know him for that, and I was saying –"

"Sure, right, I'll believe that." I said sarcastically, now stomping my way out of the classroom.

Should I write a letter to my mom about this? If I sound angry enough she could possibly tell me, finally, that my dad is Lord Voldemort. It'd been going on for quite a while… I wasn't a baby, she should tell me who my real dad is. Even though I already knew.

Probably would be best to, to see her reaction to my curiosity. It had been long enough, I thought.

I went up to the Owlery in the school to write my letter:

Dear Mom,

I have to talk to you about something… I took it upon myself to ask Professor Lockhart about his past with you. He told me everything. Don't be angry with him, he didn't know you didn't want me to know.

Just today he told me he was afraid I'd become like dad – my biological dad. So I instantly took into accord that he knows him well.

Please, tell me about dad. I know nothing about him. You've never told me whether he's alive or dead and what he was like.

Sincerely,

Melody

I looked around and chose a jet-black owl whose feathers were fairly sleek, attaching the note to it and sending it away.

Turning around to make my way downstairs, something was in the way. "Dobby!" I said in surprise. I brought my voice down to a whisper, "What are you doing here?"

"Dobby wanted to know if there was some other way to get Harry Potter out of school."

I had totally forgotten! This would be the best time to get Harry out of school. Tom was now after him so if I got him out of school, he'd be safe.

Thinking quickly, I said, "Harry has a Quidditch game tomorrow."

Dobby smiled, "Say no more! I know what to do…"

"Then do it… the diary is going to go after him, it told me so. The best we can do is put all rules aside and get Harry out." I said softly to him.

The day of the game (Saturday) was just like any other. We had breakfast and went out to the Quidditch field… the only new part was wishing Draco luck and going into the stands without him.

"There's no way we'll lose today." Becky whispered to me gleefully.

I nodded thoughtfully, wondering about what Dobby's plan was.

We sat in the back as usual, Becky and I, doing homework while Vincent and Greg went to the front of the crowd. I had just one essay I needed to finish for Professor Snape, as I was supposed to see him for my lesson right after the game.

After a while, it started to rain, and just as I was finishing up my essay.

"No, my Transfiguration homework!" Becky shrieked, protecting it from the rain.

I went up front to see what was going on in the game. The Gryffindors had called a time out. According to Greg, one of the Bludgers was following Harry around… Dobby! I didn't ask him to kill Harry!

After a while the game resumed and Harry twirled and rolled around the stadium trying to get rid of the Bludger.

Vincent was laughing, "He looks like an idiot."

I gave a fake laugh, wishing I knew some counter curse to save Harry from Dobby's Bludger.

Draco suddenly appeared some ways off from Harry, who stopped at stared at him. _Don't stop!_ I thought, but then I saw the golden shimmer… the Golden Snitch.

Just then, the Bludger whammed into Harry whose arm now stuck out at an odd angle. Harry then sped toward Draco.

Draco moved out of the way and Harry caught the Snitch.

"What did I miss?" Becky asked, sidling up next to me.

I explained it all to her and she shook her head in complete annoyance.

"I should've realized Draco's big head would outweigh our chances of winning more than the fast brooms… no party for him tonight." Becky said, backing away when seeing Vincent and Greg's angered faces.

"She has a point, you know." I told them. To Becky, I asked, "You were planning a party for him?"

"Yes! And I had it all set up! Bummer."

Soon after, I made my way to see Professor Snape in his classroom. I handed him the essays and set my stuff down at a desk.

"Did you see the game?" I asked.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy had the Snitch right on top of him and didn't notice. Quite a treat for the Gryffindors." Professor Snape said irritably.

"What happened afterwards to Harry? Did he go to the hospital wing?"

"Lockhart decided to 'help him out' before doing so."

I stared. "_What_ did he do?"

"In trying to mend Mr. Potter's broken arm, he instead deboned it."

I shivered, "I can't imagine that being at all pleasant. Madam Pomfrey can regrow bones, right?"

"Of course she can, now Miss Riddle to the task at hand."

"Yes, sir." I said. Would I ever have a friendly conversation with him?

"Your essays are perfect," he said, still looking them through, "You have great paragraph and sentence structure, and you have perfect explanations and arguments."

"Thank you, professor." I said, smiling.

"Now, how are your students? How do you think?"

"Draco has been getting much better, he's paying attention in class and understands everything. Vincent and Greg, however, aren't even trying. I've been trying to prioritize homework on their schedule but they won't pay attention or ask questions." I said, watching his expression as I spoke.

"Would it make a difference," he asked perceptively, "if I take Mr. Crabbe's and Mr. Goyle's tutoring lessons out of your schedule?"

"Well, it'd make a difference for me with more time on work, but –"

"Then that's it. If you have only one student that is trying and benefits from your tutoring, then I'm taking the others away. They are a waste of your time and attention."

I sighed, "Thanks… now I'll have some more free time."

He nodded and said, "I'll let them know you aren't tutoring them anymore. Now to our lesson… I thought I'd let you try nonverbal spell-casting today."

_Hm…_ I thought interestedly.

I aced nonverbal spell-casting easily, and was even more excited as to the ways in which I could use it. Sneaking around, dueling… I wasn't sure of any others, but I was certain that nonverbal spell-casting would be the best way to keep hidden in some cases. I remembered mom doing the levitation charm nonverbally when showing me she was a witch.

"You are a natural." Professor Snape noted, as always.

"What year is that originally meant for?" I asked.

"Sixth years."

After the lesson, I went to the library to get a start on the brand new essays Professor Snape gave me. Sometime later I heard a "Psst!"

Turning around, I saw behind one of the bookshelves a pair of bulging eyes. I walked over behind the bookshelf and said, "I wasn't asking you to kill Harry! His body may be sent back home, but he wouldn't be alive!"

"No, no! Dobby never meant to kill Harry Potter! Never kill! Dobby only wanted to seriously injure him so he would want to go home."

"You sent a _Bludger_ after him! A couple of times, you aimed at his head so you could've split his head open! You made it go at him with enough force to do so."

Dobby shook his head vigorously.

I gave a sigh, "I have work to do –"

"Wait!" Dobby said frantically. "Harry Potter still must go home! What else can Dobby do?"

That brought a bit of thought. "All right, I'm giving you one more chance. Harry is in the hospital wing now, so later tonight when no one else is there you should go reason with him. If he still doesn't see sense, then just give up and go home. There's nothing else you can do."

"Can I tell him what it is I'm trying to keep him safe from?"

"No!" I said quickly, looking around nervously. "You can't… he'll go investigating, and we really don't want that."

Dobby was crestfallen.

"I'm sorry, Dobby. The diary is already after him and I can't do anything about it. Harry is not easy to hold back."

"It's all right, Miss," Dobby said reassuringly, "You've been so kind."

I gave a small nod, not so certain that I was as kind as Dobby said. Going back to my essays, I turned around once, Dobby was gone.

A while later, there was a tap at my shoulder. I turned around expecting to see Hermione or Fred and George… but it was Ginny, holding the diary in her hand.

"Tom says he'd like to speak to you."

"Oh." I said with slight surprise.

Ginny sat down next to me and put the diary on the table.

I took my quill and wrote, "Hey, it's Melody."

"Is Ginny with you?" Tom wrote back.

"Yes."

"Make sure she doesn't see what I wrote you."

Looking up at Ginny, she gave me a small nod. I said, "You could go read a book until we're done."

"Sure." Ginny said uncertainly, standing up to look around the library.

"Done." I wrote.

"I want you to let the Basilisk out every night from now on."

I gave a small jump and looked around to make sure no one was watching.

"Why every night?" I asked worriedly.

"Do you question my authority?"

"No, I'm just curious… if not that, then can I ask you about something else?"

There was a pause. "Go ahead."

"What will Ginny be doing? Last time, she put that message on the wall, but she can't be doing that all the time. Right?"

"This is why I'm telling you to do this every night until I ask Ginny to go get you again. She will be doing something different, but it will help you all the same."

"Then I won't talk to her again until you think it's time to do so."

"Precisely, and I'll tell her something to make sure she doesn't go talk to you."

"All right then, dad."

Later that night, I made my way to the out of order bathroom and opened up the chamber.

"It's time." I said in Parseltongue.

The Basilisk slivered up and out, I could now see the still deepened expression of hunger in its eyes.

"Come back in at least an hour." I said to it.

"I can do better…" the Basilisk said, going out into the hallways after I held the door open for it.

Closing it, I gave a sigh and turned around to suddenly see a pair of eyes goggling at me. It was a ghost, a squat girl with lank hair and thick, pearly spectacles.

"Um…" I said awkwardly, "I can explain –"

"How are you going to explain a large snake?" she asked suspiciously, but then her eyes widened, "You're trying to scare me, aren't you?!"

That's when I realized that this was Moaning Myrtle, and this was the bathroom she haunted!

"What? No, why would I want to scare a ghost?"

"Peeves could've put you up to this… he's always teasing me –"

"He wouldn't ask me to do anything even if he wanted to." I said huffily.

Myrtle harrumphed and started to glide into one of the toilet stalls.

"Wait!" I said nervously. "You're not going to tell anyone about this, are you?"

Myrtle looked confused.

"Never mind, then. Just ignore me whenever I come in her, is that okay?"

"Sure, no one likes me anyways." Myrtle said sniffily.

I stopped at this, "If you give me a chance… I can be friends with you. If you'd like to –"

"No, I won't force you into something you don't want!" she said angrily.

My mouth dropped open, "You've got to stop deciding that no one likes you, Myrtle! I'm trying to be friendly –"

Myrtle burst into tears and flew into a stall, splashing toilet water everywhere as she dove on in. It was a wonder she ever stayed a ghost if she thought nobody ever liked her.

When the Basilisk came back, I asked it if it killed anyone. It still hadn't… but it had petrified a little boy who had tried taking a picture of it.


	11. Chapter 11

By Monday morning, the news that a first year had been attacked had spread through the school. He was a Gryffindor by the name of Colin Creevey. Since then, most first years walked around the castle in groups, they were that frightened.

When Draco heard of the news, his mouth dropped open, "That's the kid that Potter was giving an autograph to!"

"Interesting to know, well he's in the hospital wing petrified!" Becky said. She didn't like this, especially at the news that it was only a first year… I had the annoying thought, though, that she didn't feel bad about it as much as I did. I let the thing out that attacked him, anyhow.

What had most interested Draco was hearing that there was a big trade of talismans, amulets, and many other protective devices, of which I was certain wouldn't work on the Basilisk.

I always noticed Ginny in the hallways. She did her best to avoid my gaze considering Tom didn't want us to speak for another while. What did he tell her, though? It looked as though he said something that caused her to dislike me, or worse… hate me to the ends of the earth. Was it, perhaps, the idea that Slytherins and Gryffindors are supposed to hate each other? Sucked for me, I couldn't help making friends with three others.

I didn't trust Tom, but of course I still had to do his bidding. Why couldn't he allow a couple times for me to speak with him? Ginny's actions toward me bothered me so much that I felt terrible.

"You all right, Melody?" Draco asked once during one of our tutoring sessions.

Draco had been working on an essay for potions that afternoon, the day before it was due, and I read a book for potions that Professor Snape had given me so I could study up on my next private lesson with him. I wasn't neglecting my duties to tutor Draco, because though I was reading, I put it down when he had something to ask, just as I put it down now.

"Do you have any questions about the essay?"

"Melody," Draco said adamantly, "Are you okay?"

I sighed. "I'm _fine_, now how is the essay going?"

"I'm almost finished, but…"

"But…? What?"

"It's just that you're looking at the book, and then there are times where it looks like you suddenly drift away from it into 'Melody Land.'" Draco said, so seriously that I couldn't help but laugh nonstop.

"What?!" Draco asked, wondering what the matter was now.

"'Melody Land,' huh?" I asked when I finally gained control over myself. "That's good. I wish I'd have thought of that. Next time you go off into 'Draco Land,' I'll say that."

Draco gave me a big grin, he was pleased with himself, and it got him off my case.

In the free time after my tutoring session with Draco, I met up with Hermione in the library with hopes that I might finish my potions book.

"Hey, so you're close to Snape, right?" Hermione said quickly, the moment I sat down.

The outburst shocked me so that I looked at her, thinking that through. "Not famously."

"Does he like you?"

"I'm not certain."

"Does he trust you?"

"I'm not so certain about that, either."

Hermione was exasperated, and I was as well. Why was she asking me these ridiculous questions? Who would Professor Snape like or trust? That was way out of the question, he may prefer some people compared to others, but I was sure he didn't like anyone.

I watched Hermione, her lips tightened nervously.

"Come on now. Spit it out. Why are you asking me these questions? Do you need help with something?"

From behind me came Ron and Harry, sitting down on either side of Hermione whose face reddened at my inquisitive look. For some reason, looking at the three of them across from me like that made me feel unwanted.

"Yes, _we_ need your help, Melody." Hermione said.

Ron and Harry's eyes widened at both Hermione and I incredulously, they were as surprised as me.

"What for?" I asked.

"Yeah, what for? What makes you think she'll help us, Hermione? She's a _Slytherin_." Ron said, looking at me a little disdainfully.

Even Harry looked dubious as he looked at me.

"She may ask that we do something _ghastly_ in return." Ron said.

One of my eyebrows rose up in surprise, "Why draw such conclusion about me? Fred and George even know me better than that."

Ron was extremely confused now.

"Stop talking in circles, Melody, we really do need your help!" Hermione said.

"Well, what do you need my help with? It'd be helpful to know something." I said with a shrug. Ron and Harry noticed me so much more now that it was just us four, in Hagrid's hut they paid no attention to my being there and talked as though no one was listening in on the conversation.

"We… we need to steal a couple things from Snape's stores."

"Whatever for?" I asked in shock.

"You've done it now Hermione," Ron said, burying his face in his hands, "We're done for."

"Can we keep that secret?" Hermione pleaded.

"I swear on my life that I'll help you if you tell me why you need potion ingredients from Snape and what they're for." I said, much to Harry and Ron's shock. They didn't expect me to be so willing.

Hermione gleamed with happiness as she told me. "We've been making a Polyjuice Potion, and we need a few ingredients that I know Snape has. A bicorn horn and boomslang skin. We're just not sure how to get it."

"What're you using the potion for?" I asked.

This is where all three looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Okay, now I wished I hadn't asked." I said, bringing my hands up in defeat. "I'll leave it alone."

All three sighed in exhilaration… so I'll have to help them without knowing their intentions, I could work with that.

"I have never been involved in stealing something, so I'm not quite sure as to how I could be of much help. Something I do know, is he has his office under lock and key. I'll get you the key if you think of how you'll get in, a good chance to do that will likely be during class tomorrow." I said, wondering to myself about how I might get the key without Professor Snape noticing it's gone.

"What we need is a diversion. Then one of us can sneak into Snape's office and take what we need." Hermione said, now looking at Harry and Ron's nervous faces, "I think I'd better do the actual stealing. You two will be expelled if you get into any more trouble, and I've got a clean record. So all you need to do is cause enough mayhem to keep Snape busy for five minutes or so."

Harry gave a small, nervous smile and Ron looked horrified.

"I hope we get away with this…" Ron said softly.

"We will," I said, wishing to get back to reading the potions textbook, "So long as we don't get caught in the act."

Ron scowled at me, "Very helpful to my nerves. Very."

I smiled, almost laughing. It so far didn't look as though Hermione's plans for us to like each other as friends would work out. "Well, I mean that literally for the sake of not having Professor Snape's temper set on us, and for something else. We're making Swelling Solution tomorrow, so if you're diversion has anything to do with the potion then we'd best not get splashed.

Ron suddenly had an idea, "I know… though I don't want to be the one to carry it out…"

"I'll do it. What is it?" Harry asked.

That night I left the common room, invisible and alone, and made my way to Professor Snape's classroom first. I spent some time trying to figure out where it was in the dark, though, considering his room was in the dungeons and the key was invisible.

Once I found it, I put on gloves and made it visible, using the first spell on it that came to mind. The duplication spell Professor Snape taught me.

Donning the Disillusionment Charm on the real key, I put it back where I found it and put the duplicated one in my pocket, leaving to go let the Basilisk out for its nightly prowl. I wouldn't let it out every night if not for Tom's demanding I do so. I took off my gloves along the way, having used it in case Professor Snape checked his key for fingerprints to see who took it. It was possible…

As it went out on its little midnight hunt, I sat down next to the pipes leading into the chamber. I wondered what it looked like, what was down there besides the Basilisk.

I was surprised by a sudden chill by my other side and my head whipped around to look.

Myrtle was sitting down next to me, I was feeling tense but knowing it was her I relaxed.

Myrtle seemed to notice this reaction, but didn't say anything. She seemed touched at my reaction to her though.

"Hey, how are you?" I asked.

"The usual," Myrtle muttered softly, "Very few people come here, and if they do they ignore me."

"Except for me," I said, then wanting to voice out a question I was wondering about. "Last time we spoke you talked of 'not wanting to force me to be friends with you.' I had thought ghosts only stayed if they had a wish to stay alive… I'm just wondering why you're still here if you're only going to sit around."

Myrtle looked indignant at this, I could feel the tension through the really extreme cold I suddenly felt emanating from her.

"Don't think I'm trying to be rude," I said quickly, causing Myrtle to calm, "I just find it hard to continue, in a way, being conscious of life if I have no purpose or friends… the offer of being my friend still stands."

"I don't know…" Myrtle said, "Even when I was alive, Slytherins made fun of me almost worse than Olive Hornby did."

"Why? And who's Olive Hornby?" I asked, thinking Olive a boy but finding out differently.

"She's the reason I'm dead!" Myrtle cried out. How I wished I could put my arms around her to comfort her like I could for Ginny. "If she hadn't teased me on end about my glasses, I wouldn't have been in this bathroom crying and wouldn't have died."

I was afraid to ask her how she died. The things she might say… stabbed herself, hung herself, there was a lot she could've done.

"How about we not talk about that? What House were you in?"

"I was a Ravenclaw. But I was left out a lot because I'm Muggle-born."

I felt down at this, if Myrtle had gone to school when my mom had then she would've had three wonderful friends. If you could call Quirinus and Gilderoy wonderful friends… but she would have still had sweet Orele.

"My mom and everyone on her side of the family were Ravenclaws." I said, "Maybe you knew them, the Ollivander family?"

Myrtle looked at me with shock. "That's not possible! The family of wandmakers?!"

I nodded. "My mom kept my dad's last name, Riddle."

"So, your dad's last name was Riddle… I remember him. A year ahead of me, but so incredibly handsome I wasn't sure who he might prefer to be with. He'd had a few girlfriends, but never stayed with them long." Myrtle said, but she looked and felt tense.

"He was really mean, wasn't he?" I asked.

"Don't think I'm being rude –"

"Nah, I can understand…" I said softly, "I have my mom's sweetness, and considering my friends are incredibly mean to others, I can guess how much he may have been just like them."

"I've heard the Slytherin's meanness today… his was about a hundred times that."

My eyes widened. He _was_ an awful person! Tom Riddle may have never been a good person. "That may be a good reason why Peeves is afraid of me." I said with a small chuckle.

At this statement, Myrtle bubbled fascinatedly at me, asking if I might stop him from teasing her.

I agreed with a sly smile.

The next morning at breakfast I was tired, but happy, I'd had such a good time talking to Myrtle that I didn't even chastise the Basilisk for arriving so long after the time I set for it to go prowling… _Oh, gosh, I'm becoming a __**mother**__ to the thing_. I rolled my eyes at the thought.

The daily mail came flying in and one of the owls dropped a letter right onto my lap. It was from my mom. Took her long enough! I didn't want to open it just yet though, because she had certainly taken her time in sending it to me. It had been a month!

Just as I was about to stuff it into my textbook, Draco, Vincent, Greg, and Becky quickly stopped me with "No, no, no, no, no!"

"What?!" I asked in shock. What was wrong?

"Melody, the color…" Becky said.

I looked at it, and felt the color drain from my face. It was red… Mom sent me a _Howler_? _What_? Oh no…

"Damnation take me." I muttered under my breath as I opened it up, my shoulders tensing more and more the closer I got to fully unsealing it. I dropped it on the table once it was opened.

The loud shout in the Great Hall was louder than Ron's Howler had been, but it was also short, said with an extreme shriek.

"_**No, Melody!"**_

Then the Howler burst into flames and curled into ashes. The Great Hall was silent for a few moments, but my shoulders slackened in disbelief. As the usual chatter went back to normal, I looked at the remains of the Howler with shock.

Becky spoke softly into the silence between us, so soft I almost didn't hear her, "What was that about?"

I didn't trust my voice, still looking at the remaining ashes in disbelief.

"At least it was short." Draco said almost cheerfully, or at least trying to be for my sake.

"Are you kidding me? Yes, it was short, but that was the loudest Howler I have ever heard. You could've probably heard this one from all the way down in the deepest part of the school and up to the top of the towers!" Becky said.

Draco glared at Becky, "I was trying to make her feel better. You've probably just made it worse!"

"Well…" I cut in, "I'm certainly not going home over the holidays."

"Melody," Becky said, placating, "You know you shouldn't just stay at school for the unreasonable. You should reason everything out with your mother and –"

"– No, I shouldn't. I only asked her a simple question and _she's_ being unreasonable in sending a _Howler_. Really, Becky, I could understand a Howler for what Ron Weasley and Harry Potter did driving a _car_ here, but for _asking a simple question_? Ugh, I don't want to go home, I'm going to go tell Professor Snape to put me on the list for those staying."

"I'll do that, too." Draco said. Though I had heard he already was deciding to stay, so I wasn't sure about why he was telling me this.

Becky voiced it for me, "Don't give her false hopes, I thought you had already decided to stay for the holidays."

"It wasn't set in stone. My father says he and mother might not be home for the two weeks, just be on a business trip so I'd be alone… they might and might not go, better not take chances… also just be here for Melody."

Becky harrumphed at his explanation and agreed to stay, too, as did Vincent and Greg.

"Thanks, guys." I said softly, I was very happy having them as friends.

We made our way to Professor Snape's class early and told him to put us on the list for staying. Yet, it also seemed something of a curse, because he instantly told us that every class day we were distracting from the learning environment by talking nonstop to each other. He scattered our seats around the classroom.

The rest of the class came in and Professor Snape got some students in the inescapable predicament of sitting next to one of us. What really got me happy about this arrangement was that he told Hermione she was to sit next to me, and he sent me a wink that seemed to say _good luck with her_. He was amused… he would be no longer.

"What's going on here?" Hermione muttered to me in confusion.

I explained to her Professor Snape's idea of separating me from my friends, and I openly said to her it was lucky he decided to do it today. Taking the key out of my pocket, I succinctly handed it to her and she looked surprised.

"Thank you for helping, Melody."

"It's no problem, really." I said, shocked with her own surprise.

"It's just that you have a clean record like me, but you don't hang around with well-known troublemakers. This could get you in trouble with Snape and likely get him to never trust you."

"I am a very careful person. He won't ever know I was a part of this unless I tell him otherwise."

"But, this _is_ the key to his office. If –"

"This is a duplicate of the real key," I told her, "And if he checks the real one for fingerprints, he won't find any. He'll likely assume, if he finds out someone got into his office, that an adult did this."

"You are a genius!" Hermione said softly, "I'm so glad I asked for your help."

I gave her a smile, "What's a friend for?"

The class went along as usual, and I'd been right that Professor Snape asked us to make a Swelling Solution today. Professor Snape gave snide remarks at the Gryffindors' potions, and praised the Slytherins' potions, mine included most of all.

I notice Hermione turn and nodded to Harry, I braced myself for what was coming. I paid attention only to my potion so I couldn't possibly be considered the rule-breaker Professor Snape will be looking for after this.

Greg's potion suddenly exploded, showering the whole class. The whole class was in confusion as Hermione left quickly to slip into Professor Snape's class, and I felt tense the entire time she was in there. I hoped she would hurry.

Professor Snape did his best to restore calm, "Silence! _Silence!_" not a way I would try, but it worked "Anyone who has been splashed, come here for a Deflating Draft – when I find out who did this –"

I was glad Greg was across the room from me, so I had not been splashed. But I saw Draco hurry forward to Professor Snape with a swelling nose and felt terrible.

Hermione came back, passing the key back to me with a curt nod. I did best not to look at her while Professor Snape went over to Greg's cauldron and took out the burnt remains of the Filibuster firework Ron had gotten from Fred.

Professor Snape whispered, though it seemed loud the whole class heard it, "If I ever find out who threw this, I shall _make sure_ that person is expelled."

My heart seemed to beat so loud, I felt as though everyone heard it.

Around a week later, Harry and Ron had gone back to ignoring the fact I existed. It was fine with me, they still didn't like that I was in Slytherin though Ron's twin brothers and Hermione liked me immensely. I supposed the remarks I gave didn't give Ron any motivation to become friends with me, and Harry was likely just awkward about the year before with Lord Voldemort, the wonder of why he wanted me.

Becky and I were eating breakfast, waiting for Draco, Vincent, and Greg.

I was still angry about mom sending me a Howler, so I'd sent a letter home saying I was staying at Hogwarts for the holidays. I had to forcefully restrain myself from taking it further than that, wanting to say that I would stay with Becky for the summer as well, but I knew that would anger mom even more.

Draco came to the table excitedly, with Vincent and Greg lumbering behind. "There's going to be a Dueling Club in the Great Hall tonight at eight, let's go!"

"Sure," I said.

"Cheer up, Melody. It's going to be fun!"

At eight o'clock when we went, I stood off to the side of the golden stage put in for this occasion to watch the whole thing. I didn't really want to be there, and had very good reason to run out when Professor Lockhart walked onto the stage in the Great Hall.

"Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!"

"Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little dueling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions – for full details, see my published works.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape. He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about dueling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry – you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"

Professor Snape looked about ready to murder, and I wished he would.

Their demonstration didn't last long, I already knew the proper way of a duel was to face each other, give a bow, and give the accepted combative position of holding the wand like a sword in front of you. I was certain that if someone ever had to duel, there wouldn't be all the rubbish of giving a bow to each other.

My happiest point in this whole club was when Professor Snape's disarming spell blasted Professor Lockhart off his feet and back off of the stage, smashing into the wall. I clapped with the other Slytherins.

Of course, Professor Lockhart acted as though he'd meant for it to happen. Professor Snape, and myself secretly, glared daggers at him for the lie.

"Enough demonstrating!" Professor Lockhart said, "I'm going to come amongst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me –"

They went through the crowd, putting partners together. When Professor Lockhart tried to put me with someone, Professor Snape saved me, "Miss Riddle is much more advanced than any of the students here. She would likely intimidate them, besides there are enough as it is without her."

"Why, then she'll have me as a partner!" Professor Lockhart said, not scared by Professor Snape's description of me.

I gave Professor Snape a shrug and a look that said _you tried_. Having known my mom when they were younger, the looks I gave were exactly what she gave and he knew how to interpret each one. In my moments of annoyance, I thought about how he knew me so much better than I knew him.

Then I had an idea, "But, Professor Lockhart… if you have me as a partner you'll be too preoccupied with trying to disarm me that you won't be able to pay attention to the likely mayhem that could be let loose if neither you or Professor Snape are watching."

"Oh, quite right, quite right Riddle."

I felt a sudden jolt of surprise… had he ever called me by my last name before? No, he called me by my first name as I guess was a sign of affection. What happened?

"You flatter him too much." Professor Snape said with gritted teeth. He hated the man.

"It's the only way in which I can get him away from me." I said with a shrug.

And as I had expected, mayhem began everywhere. No one stuck with only disarming, and quite a few people were injured… _that_ I had not expected.

The extremely worse mayhem began when Professor Snape and Professor Lockhart put Draco and Harry on the stage to give another demonstration of a duel. They were going to kill each other.

"Three – two – one – go!" Professor Lockhart shouted.

When Draco first shouted out, "_Serpensortia_!" my whole body tensed up. How did he know that spell?

A long black snake erupted out of the end of his wand, and it was _angry_.

Professor Snape looked pleased and I wondered if he'd planned this out with Draco. "Don't move, Potter. I'll get rid of it…"

"Allow me!" Professor Lockhart said confidently.

When he cast a spell at it, it didn't go away as he said he'd do. With a bang, it instead flew about ten feet into the air, and smacked back onto the floor. It was so angry it made its way to Justin Finch-Fletchley, a second year Hufflepuff, and was posed to strike.

I almost made my way over there when Harry suddenly did. What tensed me up more was when he said in Parseltongue to the snake, "Leave him alone!"

My mouth dropped open. _How…?_

With all the whispers that went around, I disappeared out of the Great Hall shortly before Justin did, donning myself with the Disillusionment Charm. I went straight to the out of order bathroom and just sat there, the shock running over me. Harry spoke Parseltongue? How? Why?

I just couldn't get over the shock, and just sat there after removing the Disillusionment charm. What did I make of it?

"Everything all right?" Myrtle asked, watching me closely from a distance.

I looked up at her, feeling all the fear in the world. It was so likely that Harry could find out about where the Chamber of Secrets was if he knew Parseltongue… though, he'd been surprised by all the fear of the people in the room. It was likely he didn't yet know he could do it, though he was probably being told different. People would believe he was Slytherin's heir… and that he would make another attack.

"I… I need to be alone for a bit, Myrtle, could you wait a bit?" I said.

Myrtle complied, though eyeing me suspiciously, likely certain I wouldn't hold to my word and just want to never talk to her again.

"Open," I said in Parseltongue, "Come out."

The Basilisk took it's time, coming up and looking at me with sleepy eyes. I felt like I was the worst person in the world considering what I was about to do.

"I'd like you to start your hunt early… and _don't_ come back until you've made at least one attack."

It gave a nod and left.

"Myrtle!" I said.

Myrtle came in quickly and sat down beside me.

"I'm sorry… it was just the dueling club my friend, Draco, forced me to. My nerves are wracked." I told her everything that happened.

Myrtle was my shoulder to cry on, though if I tried I'd only fall to the floor.

It was early morning and the Basilisk still hadn't come back. A little into breakfast, I guessed. "Can you go tell Professor McGonagall I'm not well and can't come to Transfiguration today?" I asked Myrtle.

Myrtle agreed, and I felt very thankful to her. Though I had my worries about what I was missing in class today and may have to do some other time.

She came back and told me that they weren't doing anything I didn't already know too well.

"Thank you so much, Myrtle." I said to her. Myrtle's blush was obvious and I gave her the best smile I could, considering I was still shaken about the night before. I was even regretting the fact that I told the Basilisk to not come back until it had attacked someone. Did I say that from temper? I didn't even _know_!

When the Basilisk did come back, Myrtle had gone to get Peeves, since I'd promised her I'd get him to stop teasing her.

"Who did you attack?" I asked it.

The Basilisk gave what sounded like a chuckle. "Petrified a ghost and another student."

Once it had gone down and I closed up the chamber, I fell to the floor almost in a faint. A student and a ghost…

When Peeves and Myrtle came in, Peeves was chanting around Myrtle "Goggle-eyes! Goggle-eyes!"

Myrtle was close to crying.

"Peeves please shut up." I told him.

"Wha–" Peeves said in surprise.

"Stop teasing Myrtle!" I said.

He harrumphed, crossing his arms over his chest, and muttered, "Next you'll be telling me not to tease or prank students."

"No, I promise I won't do that. You can annoy other students, and Argus Filch, to your heart's content. But, it would be prudent of you to stop teasing Myrtle… I won't annoy you ever again if you stop." I knew the last bit would win him over.

"All right, see you in _never_, Riddle!" he said, floating out of the room with a cackle.

"Oh, Melody, I would _hug_ you if I could!" Myrtle said joyfully.

I gave a weak smile, "Don't mention it… it was my pleasure, Myrtle."

I walked through the corridors under the Disillusionment Charm trying to look for whomever the Basilisk had petrified. Unfortunately I found it.

What luck was it that Harry Potter was at the scene, looking at the body of Justin Finch-Fletchley and Nick the Gryffindor House Ghost? Justin was rigid on the floor, but the petrification of the ghost was the strangest I had ever seen by far.

Nick was no longer pearly-white and transparent as he had been when I saw him, but black and smoky. No longer floating vertical with grace, but immobile and horizontal.

Peeves came and made it worse, my breathing became quicker. The third attack, but now on two people… if you could call a ghost a person.

Ernie Macmillan had come along as well and pointed at Harry dramatically.

After everyone had left, Professor McGonagall with Harry, and the bodies of Nick and Justin to the hospital, I followed Ernie.

"Not exactly fair, don't you think?" I asked aloud after becoming visible.

Ernie turned around quickly and scowled. "Exactly _what_ do you want with me, Slytherin girl?"

"Only an answer," I said coolly, "What makes you think Harry Potter, vanquisher of the Dark Lord, could possibly be Slytherin's heir and trying to rid the school of Muggle-borns?... one of his closest friends is Muggle-born."

"He might not kill her off, but he certainly don't like the rest… besides, no one knows why You-Know-Who went after him. This may well be it. He wanted to rid himself of another likely powerful dark lord."

"You're drawing a very unlikely conclusion." I said dangerously.

"Riddle, Macmillan, what are you doing standing about the hallways?"

It came from behind me and I cursed my stupidity in my head. "Just leaving," I said, about to leave when Professor Snape touched my shoulder to stop me.

"I would like to speak to you privately, Miss Riddle. As for you, Macmillan, get to wherever you need to be before I dock points."

Ernie sped off as fast as he could without running.

Professor Snape took me to his classroom. "Where did you go yesterday?" he asked once we were safely alone.

I knew he knew about who my dad was, so it would be a good plan to tell him an almost full truth about the day before. It wouldn't daunt him in the least. "I went to the bathroom Moaning Myrtle haunts and stayed with her for the night."

"Why?" he was totally serious about this and it surprised me deeply.

"Just… it was everyone's reaction to Harry stopping that snake from biting into Justin. What was so wrong in that?"

Professor Snape showed surprise, "He spoke Parseltongue, dear girl."

I gave a confused look. "What? If that's some strange language I don't get your meaning, he said it all in plain English I heard him."

"What did you hear him say to the snake?"

"He ordered it off, said to leave Finch-Fletchley alone, and it obeyed." I said.

Professor Snape thought on that a while. "You're staying for the holidays, right? I will keep you informed of when I would like to see you in that time, with Professor Dumbledore. Clear?"

"Clear." I said. Maybe they'll tell me who my dad is and spare me the suspense of lying about not knowing.


	12. Chapter 12

"What class do you have right now?" Professor Snape asked.

"Supposed to be in Transfiguration, I sent Myrtle to Professor McGonagall saying I'd miss it and she came back with the good news that everything they were doing in that class that I could already do impeccably." I said, rubbing my eyes. I almost didn't realize I hadn't slept all night, that being the reason I was in that bathroom for so long, but I felt like doing it again to be with Myrtle. She was a lovely soul now that I got to know her better.

"I think it may be prudent to keep you from going to classes for the rest of the day… you don't look to be in any state where you can."

"Pish posh," I said, "I only needed to miss Transfiguration, I'll be fine for the rest of the day."

"You didn't eat any breakfast and you look as though you got no sleep –"

"Those aren't good reasons, Professor. I'm not sick, and those are no excuse." I said, surprised I had the audacity to go against Professor Snape's better judgment. But, what else could I do? I couldn't just miss class, and that was even against what I thought Professor Snape would suggest for me.

He took a deep breath, "I insist you take a rest from classes for the rest of the day."

"Please, no, Professor." I said. When he didn't say anything, I sighed in exasperation. "It's no good to argue about it. I've missed Transfiguration and I'm lucky we aren't doing anything of importance for me, myself, to practice. I can't miss anything in my other classes."

"You can on my insistence, Riddle, take it in that way."

"I can't leave it?"

"I'm not giving you that option."

Who knew Professor Snape would be an exasperation to argue with? "I need something to occupy my thoughts, class helps with that."

"Sleep helps as well."

"If you haven't noticed, I didn't sleep at all last night so sleep is out of the question. I want to have something to do, and classwork piled with homework will do the trick." I said.

"What do you need to occupy your thoughts? Surely Mr. Potter speaking Parseltongue isn't what has been most on your mind. Come on, there must be something else that's nagging at you, you haven't been the same cheerful person all week." Professor Snape said, watching me intently. Oh, he was _impossible_.

I sighed, "It's my mom."

He looked as though he'd won in a game of bingo, "What about her?"

"I… I sent her a letter asking a simple question, which I don't feel inclined to talk about. She then sent a _Howler_ back, as I'm sure you had heard some week ago, which was the reason I asked to be on the list to stay home."

"And I must ask, just w_hat_ _was_ the 'simple question?'"

"Professor –"

"– I insist."

I was silenced with that. Not for long, "I don't want to go back to the common room, though… once Becky finds me there, I'm sure I'll never hear the end of it. Could I stay here for the time being, since you're so insistent on me staying away from classes for the rest of the day?"

"No, you are going to your dorm room and going to sleep. I will give you what you missed later."

I groaned. Sleep was certainly _not_ what I'd had in mind.

The double attack now caused a panic, now everyone's fear was bigger and worse than how they felt about the attack on Colin Creevey. For Justin Finch-Fletchley to have been attacked was too convenient considering what had happened at the dueling club. More and more students signed up for the train ride home and spend the holidays at their homes.

Just about the only thing that was keeping me in a good mood was how Fred and George made fun out of the idea of Harry being the Heir of Slytherin. It showed just how absurd they thought it to be, which gave them credit for having _sense_, even if shown through jokes.

I had, of course, been right about Becky having a talk with me about where I'd gone during the dueling club. She and Draco _both_ did, they had been sincerely worried.

"When did you leave anyways? I didn't see you partner with anyone." Draco noted.

"Me neither. Were you even here when Draco and Harry had to do a demonstration in front of the club on how to best disarm your opponent? Which Draco failed at and –"

"What are you blabbering on about? I left early, when Professors Snape and Lockhart started pairing everyone up, they said I had superior learning to everyone else and asked that I bother myself no longer."

They explained the whole thing to me, and I showed extreme surprise and shock at what I was hearing. Ooh, I w_as_ a good actress. They truly believed I hadn't been there.

"_Parseltongue_, where have I heard that before?" I asked.

"I think I remember… the chocolate frog card you got last year before we started school." Becky had said. "It had Salazar Slytherin on it and it'd said he spoke Parseltongue, another reason why everyone now believes the _famous_ Harry Potter is his heir."

It always surprised me how good of a memory Becky had. Even I'd forgotten about that, believing myself that I'd only heard about it from dad. But more like learning it from my great-great-great-great-great two-sometimes great granddad. Couldn't say much more on it, though, no one else knew.

When term finally ended, I was actually happy I was staying for reasons other than my mom. Just the thought of having to get packed and get on a train made me happy I could just lie around in bed and be lazy. It was actually peaceful at the castle, especially with no one there. I reasoned to myself it would be better to only let the Basilisk out when there were a lot of people in the school.

The common room was quiet. Slytherins usually never stayed for Christmas, and it was just me and my friends. It was a good time for us, having the common room to ourselves. Literally nobody else stayed behind.

Christmas day came bright and early for Becky and I, we woke up and couldn't get back to sleep.

"I have an idea." Becky had said excitedly.

Becky and I slipped out of our dormitory, through the common room, and snuck into the boys' dormitory. As we'd suspected, the boys were still in bed, asleep. We giggled softly, composing ourselves, before loudly striding into the room.

"Good morning, boys, it's Christmas day! Merry, merry, merry Christmas!" Becky said, grabbing an extra pillow from the side of the room and whacking each of them on the head with it until they woke up.

"Not very merry, waking up like this." Draco muttered, sitting up.

Vincent and Greg just moaned and sat up, looking around as though they were hypnotized and had no idea what was going on.

"Oh, come on," I said with a big smile, "Have some spirit, today's a happy day!"

"That's right, now come on boys, get up! We'll be your cheerleaders if we have to!" Becky said.

"Ugh, Melody, I thought you understood how hard getting up early is?" Draco asked.

"I do, but I'm more awake on Christmas day than any other day." I said with a laugh.

"She's much more likeable on Christmas. I think you should find out before deciding to fall back asleep." Becky said jokingly.

"Melody is very likeable otherwise, so I don't see what it is you're saying about her."

Becky pouted, "Aw, Draco, you're making me feel bad."

"As long as it's you, I'm all right with that."

Becky gasped and hit him in the head with the pillow, knocking him over. He stood up, laughing.

I had to hold back my own laugh by at least letting myself smirk. Both of them were very strange when coming up to putting _me_ as an interesting subject for them to bicker about. They just started on it for no apparent reason; leaving Vincent, Greg, and me to just watch them argue back and forth.

"As much as I'd like to let you continue," I interrupted the two of them, and said with a wink, "We have a little party to host in our common room for the day. Not to mention great holiday feasts being hosted."

The rest of the day did pass by quickly, and the only thing I was surprised about was that Professor Lockhart wasn't there at all. I'd expected him to be a big contributor to the feast.

I felt even more content with the break, though. The professor wasn't there to annoy me. I was only with my friends and could just enjoy myself. Grandpa wasn't to quiz me on wands. Mom wouldn't fuss at me about Professor Lockhart. I was free of work and responsibility for a while.

After finishing my lunch, I waited for my friends to finish theirs until Professor Snape tapped my shoulder. I turned around to look at him.

"Time to go see Dumbledore, Riddle."

I gave a small nod, and stood up. "I'll see you later at dinner," I said, following Professor Snape out of the Great Hall.

Once inside Professor Dumbledore's office, Professor Snape left me alone in there. _Oh, great,_ I thought to myself, _I get to have a small talk with him alone. Thanks a lot Professor Snape._

It didn't look as thought Professor Dumbledore was in the room until I turned around to go out, giving up on waiting, and he was in the door.

"Hello," he said with a bright smile, "I wonder... how long has it been since you were last in my office?"

"About two years, I think," I said softly.

"Ah, how time passes." Professor Dumbledore walked around me to sit behind his desk, giving a small gesture to the seat in front of his desk.

I sat down.

"So," he said, looking at me with a warmth in his eyes, "How long have you been able to talk to snakes?"

I was surprised by the question, but I supposed it made sense. It would make sense to tell the truth on it, too, since I had told my mom about those times at the zoo when I would go talk to the snakes. "For as long as I can remember..." I said, "So, Harry has my same ability."

He nodded. "There is a reason behind everyone's ability. Your animagus is a snake, and so I believe that is a possible reason for why you speak Parseltongue."

"I remember at the beginning of my first year here... on the train, I got a chocolate frog and on the card was Salazar Slytherin. He was a Parselmouth as well."

Professor Dumbledore nodded.

"I was thinking that might be a reason why I'm in Slytherin, but... Harry has the same ability and he's in Gryffindor."

"Ah, but would you like to know something?" he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Sure."

"According to Harry, as he told me earlier, he was almost placed in Slytherin. But, so you know, he didn't want to be and asked to be placed in Gryffindor... the Sorting Hat took his decision into account, and it could have done so for you as well had you asked for, say, Ravenclaw."

I let that sink in to my mind. I could have been in Ravenclaw... but then I don't really know anyone in Ravenclaw, since Becky was placed in Slytherin as well and Addy into Hufflepuff.

"But not everybody can get what house they want, normally, because they don't try that. They just take whatever the hat decides and go with it." I said.

"Ah, now _that _is not true... think about it, everyone has a subconscious. The hat takes what it can from the student's subconscious and chooses that way. Did you know which house you wanted to be in?"

"No..." I said thoughtfully, "I wasn't certain. Everyone was saying I'd be great in Ravenclaw, and I thought that was where I would go... but I was open to other houses."

"And what of your friends?"

I thought to myself on that. "Let's see... Vincent, Greg, and Draco knew they were going to be in Slytherin as it was their family custom. Becky wanted to be wherever Addy and I were going so... I guess since I was a close friend with Draco she may have had a possible idea that I would go there and was placed there herself. Addy... nobody in her family was in Slytherin, so it is possible she was told how terrible it was and wanted to be anywhere but there though she was right after Becky... her closest friend."

"It is as if you are the Sorting Hat itself." Professor Dumbledore said, beaming at me.

"Huh..." I thought aloud, "I hadn't ever thought about it that way."

"And I see you and Miss Figsund haven't been hanging around Addy anymore, but you still consider her a friend."

I sighed, "On the train to get here, we went to find her and she told us she was sitting with friends in her house. Like... if she were to hang around with us any longer it would ruin her reputation as a Hufflepuff."

"I see..." Professor Dumbledore said.

"It's hard to be in the house that everyone hates," I said, surprising myself. Why was I saying all of this to him? He wasn't a psychiatrist. "I do have very close friends there, but we aren't all so terrible."

"Sometimes there are things that trouble us, but we can't do anything about them. Don't worry about it Melody; you have friends who care for you and a family who loves you. I'd say your life is better than some who aren't even in the most hated house."

I smiled, "Thank you, Professor."

After the dinner feast, I left early to go relax in my dormitory. Draco and Becky came with while Vincent and Greg stayed behind to eat more.

Back in the dorm there were two owls, one dark one and one creamy colored. Draco grabbed hold of the creamy colored one excitedly, and I took the letter from the dark one. It was from my family. The owls then flew on out of the common room.

Draco ripped his open quickly, taking out a newspaper clipping. He read it and laughed, giddily handing it to me and Becky. We read:

**INQUIRY AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC**

Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, was today fined fifty Galleons for bewitching a Muggle Car.

Mr. Lucius Malfoy, a governor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the enchanted car crashed earlier this year, called today for Mr. Weasley's resignation.

"Weasley has brought the Ministry into disrepute," Mr. Malfoy told our reporter. "He is clearly unfit to draw up our laws and his ridiculous Muggle Protection Act should be scrapped immediately."

Mr. Weasley was unavailable for comment, although his wife told reporters to clear off or she'd set the family ghoul on them.

It was a sad matter, with Ron and Harry being at fault for Mr. Weasley likely losing his job for doing something illegal he tried to keep a secret. But… who could help but laugh at the last part? Becky and I both giggled, though I dared not ask what _she_ was laughing at, but setting their family ghoul on someone sounded well. Why would they put that in a newspaper clipping, though? It wasn't an important detail.

We gave it back to Draco, who said, "I think I'll go to bed now. Wait till Crabbe and Goyle see this!"

Becky and I back up to our room, too, not wanting to spoil Draco's mood if my mom sent me something to scold me. I opened it up and took the letter out, quite happy it wasn't a Howler like before, but nervously read it aloud:

"Dear Melody, I'm sorry about sending the Howler, I know it was absurd to go so far it's just that your letter was shocking. Gilderoy came here for Christmas, if you were wondering where he went, and explained to me what he'd told you. I know it's been a bother trying to get used to the fact that you never knew your father, but I assure you I tell the truth when I say he died after you were born.

"In other news, Gilderoy and I have reached a decision to try marrying again. It will be for the best, I know you may think otherwise, but a father is what you seem to need at this time. The better part is that I love him very much. Wish you a lovely holiday! – Orel Riddle/Lockhart (Mom)"

I was _fuming._ 'He died after you were born,' no he didn't! And now my name was probably going to be Melody Lockhart. _Lockhart_? Golly, no!

Becky was excited though. "Oh my gosh, he's going to be your stepdad!"

I grumbled. "That's not very exciting, Becky."

"Well, why not? Ooh, when's the wedding?"

I checked in the envelope, there was one more thing… getting married on new year's eve. I showed it to Becky, and she squealed excitedly.

"This is the one time I'm glad I'll _miss_ a wedding." I said.

"Melody," Becky began, reproachful. "You should be happy for your mother, and look at it closely! You're going to be famous."

I scowled at her. "Gilderoy Lockhart as my dad? I might as well go hide under a rock."

"Look at what else they sent you." Becky said with awe, after looking at the card a while.

When she gave me the slip with the date of the wedding, I looked at it thoroughly. Under a bit of light it looked like something was inside, so I took a pair of scissors and carefully cut it, making sure I didn't cut the object within.

Taking it out, it was a beautiful necklace, a silver diamond-shaped pendant with flower designs. I took off the note attached and read: "An Ollivander family heirloom that I think should go to you now."

I gave the note to Becky and put the necklace on.

"This is _amazing_." Becky said with awe.

"Now _this_ is a Christmas present I can enjoy," I said, and then picked up the letter she sent, stuffing it in the envelope. "This, however, must burn."

I left the dormitory and went into the common room where the fireplace still had a bright, warm fire going. Throwing the letter in, I watched it burn and crumple into ashes. Turning around, I expected to go back to my dormitory but saw Vincent and Greg sitting on the couch, waiting.

"Hey," I said. They'd been watching me and just waved. Normally they'd have said something to let me know they were there. "Are you waiting for something?"

"Malfoy told us to wait here while he went to go get something. Told us it was funny." Vincent told me.

I nodded. "He showed it to me as well. He told me he went to bed and was going to show you two later, though."

"He went looking for us; we were eating for so long." Greg said, looking nervous.

_Curious_, I thought.

Draco came into the room and gave the newspaper clipping to Vincent first. "That'll give you a laugh." He turned to me and asked, "Weren't you going to bed?"

"I thought _you_ were," I said back. "Becky and I only went up to read my letter."

"What did it say?" he asked, suddenly worried, probably looking as I had.

"Um… my mom's getting married to our annoying professor." I nodded to the fireplace, "I was just burning it."

Vincent gave a laugh after reading the newspaper clipping and handed it to Greg.

"So," Draco said, obviously trying not to laugh, "You're going to be Melody Lockhart now?"

I punched him in the arm when he finally burst out laughing, silencing him but not taking off his smile. "It's not funny. They're getting married on New Year's Eve. So soon."

Goyle held out the newspaper clipping to Draco.

"Well? Don't you think it's funny?" Draco asked him in annoyance, since we hadn't heard him laugh.

Greg gave a very fake sounding laugh, but Draco seemed not to notice.

Draco sat down on the couch across from them. I still stood by the fireplace, watching Vincent and Greg. Something felt sort of wrong about the way they were acting. Nervous, watchful, careful, and seemingly more.

"Arthur Weasley loves Muggles so much he should snap his wand in half and go and join them. You'd never know the Weasley's were pure-bloods, the way they behave." Draco said scornfully.

Vincent looked very angry at this remark.

"What's up with you, Crabbe?"

"Stomachache." Vincent said.

Draco snickered, "Well, go up to the hospital wing and give all those Mudbloods a kick from me. You know, I'm surprise the _Daily Prophet_ hasn't reported all these attacks yet. I suppose Dumbledore's trying to hush it all up. He'll be sacked if it doesn't stop soon. Father's always said old Dumbledore's the worst thing that's ever happened to this place. He loves Muggle-borns. A decent headmaster would never've let slime like that Creevey in."

Draco made fun of the little first year, making clicking noises of a camera and looking like he was taking pictures. He said mockingly, "'Potter, can I have your picture, Potter? Can I have your autograph? Can I lick your shoes, please, Potter?'"

When he stopped, Vincent and Greg didn't laugh.

"What's the _matter_ with you two?"

They burst into laughter way too late, and I watched with wondering. Draco was pleased with it, but they weren't _normally_ so late in their laughter.

"Saint Potter, the Mudbloods' friend. He's another one with no proper wizard feeling, or he wouldn't go around with that jumped up Granger Mudblood. And people think _he's _Slytherin's heir! I _wish_ I knew who it _is_. I could help them."

"Watch out with what you say, Draco," I said, drawing his attention to me while Vincent's mouth had dropped open at Draco's remark. "It _might_ not be all the glory you feel it is." _Take it from me; it's awful_, I thought to myself.

Draco chuckled.

"You must have some idea who's behind it all…" Greg said.

Draco snapped, "You know I haven't, Goyle, how many times do I have to tell you? And Father won't tell me _anything_ about the last time the Chamber was opened either. Of course, it was fifty years ago, so it was before his time, but he knows all about it, and he says that it was all kept quiet and it'll look suspicious if I know too much about it. But I know one thing – last time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, a Mudblood _died_. So I bet it's a matter of time before one of them's killed this time… I hope it's Granger."

Vincent clenched his fists, but Greg was very calm as he asked, "D'you know if the person who opened the Chamber last time was caught?"

"Oh, yeah…" Draco said thoughtfully, "whoever it was was expelled. They're probably still in Azkaban."

"Azkaban?" Greg asked in confusion. Even I knew what it was, how could he not?

Draco was disbelieving his ears as well, "Azkaban – _the wizard prison_, Goyle. Honestly, if you were any slower, you'd be going backward.

"Father says to keep my head down and let the Heir of Slytherin get on with it. He says my school needs ridding of all the Mudblood filth, but not to get mixed up in it. Of course, he's got a lot on his plate at the moment. You know the Ministry of Magic raided our manor last week?"

Greg gave a look of concern… Vincent's a little triumphant. Though it was good Draco didn't look at him. I was thinking more about what he said his dad told him. It was smart, to make sure at least someone knew not to go meddling in my business, thought I wished to everlasting life it wasn't.

"Yeah… Luckily, they didn't find much. Father's got some _very_ valuable Dark Arts stuff. But luckily, we've got our own secret chamber under the drawing-room floor –"

"Ho!" Vincent suddenly said. He and Greg took a look at each other and both sped out of the room. "Medicine for my stomach." Vincent said as they tore right out of the common room, causing both Draco and myself to look at each other in confusion.

"I'll go after them," I said, "To make sure they're _both_ all right. Never knew them to think the same thing."

"Me neither… I might just go to bed now. That was weird." Draco said, standing up.

I walked out of the common room, and then ran as well, following Vincent and Greg's footsteps. Or whoever they were. They were probably a pair of frauds.

I found myself in the corridor where Myrtle's bathroom was and stopped outside of it, hearing voices, but they weren't Vincent and Greg's.

"What's the matter?" asked a voice, it sounded like Ron's, "You must be back to normal by now, we are –"

Myrtle's voice interrupted and said, "Ooooooh, wait till you see. It's _awful –_"

I heard a lock slide and heard some sobbing. Hermione, perhaps?

"What's up? Have you still got Millicent's nose or something?" Ron asked.

There was some silence and then I heard Hermione say, "It was a c-cat hair! M-Millicent Bulstrode m-must have a cat! And the p-potion isn't supposed to be used for animal transformations!"

"Uh-oh." Ron said.

Myrtle said, with excitement, "You'll be teased something _dreadful_."

Then I heard Harry, "It's okay, Hermione. We'll take you up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey never asks too many questions…"

I walked in, causing everyone to gasp and Myrtle to say, "Haha, you've been caught!"

"Hush, Myrtle," I said softly, smiling at her, "I'm helping, not turning anyone in _or_ making fun of them."

I looked at the three students, Harry and Ron in oversized robes… and Hermione's face was covered with black fur. She had cat's ears and her eyes were yellow.

"Oh no…" I said.

"D-does M-Millicent have a c-cat?" Hermione asked, looking ready to burst into tears.

I shook my head, "My friend, Becky and I do. It looks like you got my friend's cat's fur. Because her eyes are yellow." Bodoujn's eyes were green, and that was how I could tell the difference between him and Becky's cat, Nightmare. "You should go to the hospital, Hermione, that's the best plan."

Hermione shook her own head nervously. "I c-can't!"

Harry and Ron were looking at me uncertainly, and then were taking their wands out.

"There's no need for that." I told them. Hermione looked at them in shock.

"I don't trust her!" Ron told Hermione.

"She helped us get the ingredients we needed for the potion, though!"

"But she didn't know what we needed them for." Harry pointed out.

"If I had known," I said seriously, "I wouldn't have stopped you. Only pointed out that I know Draco very well, and if he was the Heir of Slytherin he would tell me."

"Would you have told us if he was?" Ron asked.

I shrugged. "I guess that would depend. Though, Draco trusts me very much, Vincent and Greg because they're idiots, but me because I'm very trustworthy. If he was the Heir of Slytherin, he would tell us, and since he told you two that he wasn't, you can very well believe him."

"Very useful, now can we erase your mind?" Ron asked.

I tsked, "Very vicious of you. I promise, though, I won't tell anyone. Where did you put Vincent and Greg?"

They looked confused.

"Crabbe and Goyle?"

"In a closet." Harry muttered.

"Great!" I said, with a clap of my hands, "You get Hermione to the hospital wing, and I'll take care of those two."

I ran out of there and then donned the Disillusionment Charm before they could come after me and erase my memory… if they even knew _how_ to.


	13. Chapter 13

Vincent and Greg had been confused when I got them out of the closet they were locked in. I had to think quick and said, "How did you two get locked in here? I thought you were going to the hospital wing."

I brought them back, Draco had gone back to bed and so I let them go up, too.

Hermione was still in the hospital wing long after break ended and school had begun. I wasn't in the best of moods when going to Defense Against the Dark Arts, especially when Professor Lockhart hounded me about the wedding, promising to show me pictures later on.

Once, very late at night, I visited Hermione in the hospital wing, and she was very excited when she saw me. She almost looked back to normal, her eyes just needed to change.

"I have a question for you," she told me, and was silently waiting for a response I guess.

"Before that," I said, "How are you feeling? Have Harry and Ron found out anything else?"

"I'm much better than before; no longer covered in fur. And no, they haven't found anything on who Slytherin's Heir might be, but they did find something… they found a diary in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom."

I had been Myrtle's 'shoulder to cry on' after she flooded the bathroom, because someone had thrown a diary at her. Now knowing Harry and Ron found it, I wondered what was so interesting. "Well, sounds cool… but why is that important? Is there something extremely different about the diary?"

"We think the owner of the diary might be related to you." Hermione said.

I felt myself go pale, and was extremely happy it was dark so she didn't see… did Ginny throw the diary at Myrtle? Was she on to Tom Riddle?

"Why?"

"It's pretty old, about fifty years… and on the first page, the time January first is written, as well as the name T.M. Riddle."

"Really?" I asked. "Huh. Maybe…"

"Might it be your father… or paternal grandfather?"

"How should I know? My mom doesn't tell me _anything_." _But my dad does_, I thought.

"Well, Ron remembered his name as one of those that were recognized for good deeds when he was serving his detention by cleaning the trophy room. And he knows my state of mind in reading the name so he'd warned me not to tell you of it, but how could I not?" Hermione said.

I shrugged wordlessly. Ginny had gotten rid of the diary, perhaps realizing the dangers of it. But what would happen if she knew the diary had gone to Harry and Ron, the ones who didn't leave problems alone?

"Harry and Ron see I trust you, I just haven't gotten them to realize you're not like other Slytherins. Now that they see you're close to Malfoy, they don't want to get to know you."

I smiled at her reassuringly, "Perhaps it is best that way. They don't think highly of any Slytherins, so why try with me?"

Hermione shook her head, "How can you bear to have anyone hate you?"

"It's something I'll have to live with. I'm the only Slytherin in my home, don't you know? My family is kind to me, but I know they're all unsure as to why I'm not in Ravenclaw."

Hermione laughed, "You and me both, not at home but in Gryffindor House."

"Slytherin House as well, but they're glad to have me for the extra points I earn."

Hermione was let out in February, and we had our regular library meetings with each other. Fred and George came along and demanded for her to explain why she'd been in the hospital wing. She was too embarrassed to tell them.

"Do you know anything of it?" they prodded me.

"No, and even if I did I'd tell you it was none of your business." I told them huffily.

"You must know. She trusts you with everything." Fred said.

George added, "And if you know, tell us since she won't."

"I'll tell you again," I said when Hermione blanched at their persistence, "_If_ I knew, I'd still tell you that it's not something you _desperately_ need to know. Hermione has her reasons for not wanting you to know, I'd expect you would understand that in your friend."

After a while they left and Hermione instantly beamed at me.

"Thanks for that… and – uh – Harry and Ron wanted to go look at the trophy room later. Do you want to come with?"

"Would love to if they weren't so dismissive of me." I said drily. _Did_ it annoy me that they didn't like me?

"I don't care about what they'll say. I _will_ make them behave around you… and besides, this is something you should learn about. This man is related to you, whether father, grandfather, or even great-grandfather."

I chuckled, "I think great-grandfather goes way too far, my mom is in her thirties. She might have married someone twenty years older than her." I said, knowing _that was_ the truth.

At that moment, Harry and Ron came into the library and did an about-face.

"Harry! Ron!" Hermione whispered with a hiss, "Come here."

They slowly turned around and went to sit on Hermione's side of the table, watching me warily as always.

"Hermione, I _told_ you they don't trust me." I said.

"I just want Ron to show us where he found T.M. Riddle's name in the trophy room. He _must_ be related to you in some way –"

"_Some_ people might have the same last name," I said, "Not everybody is unique in that way."

"And besides, Hermione," Ron inputted, "Harry and I believe he must be Muggle born, because the diary was bought from Vauxhall Road. No Slytherin would be caught dead in a place like that."

"Why assume that?" I asked humorously, causing Ron to glare at me. "I'm a Slytherin, and I've walked around in Muggle shops quite a lot."

"How can we believe that?" Ron sneered.

"I guess you don't have to. It doesn't much matter." I stood up and left the table, with Harry and Ron gaping after me.

I could hear Hermione scolding them as I left.

I hadn't opened the Chamber in a while, after knowing that Ginny had given away the diary. And I couldn't go up and ask her about it either, after Tom told me not to. Ginny would even wonder how I came to know she wanted to get rid of the diary.

The Basilisk became more impatient every day, speaking to me when I was tryin to sleep. It was hungry for more students. Or even ghosts as it showed it could do.

"Shut up!" I hissed out one night, blocking my ears.

"Melody? Are you all right?" Becky asked.

When I opened my eyes to look, she was wide-awake, a light turned on and a book in her lap. She looked at me with slight worry.

"Nightmares." I said. It wasn't even a lie, I hardly slept anyways with the images of Lord Voldemort and Tom Riddle invading my mind and saying that once the job was done they'd take me away with them. I did _not_ want to spend any more time with them than was needed to show I was on their side… sort of on their side. I didn't like the idea any more than perhaps Professor Dumbledore or my family would, but for some reason I felt I had no choice in the matter.

"Was it about snakes?" she asked.

"N-No… why?"

"Because you hissed, as though trying to scare something away."

"Oh no, not about snakes, I'd just bat those with a broom or something. No, a cat was after me, so I thought it'd make sure it knew I didn't want it near me." I said, gasping for breath. "It wouldn't and just chased after me. I think I'll stay awake."

Bodoujn jumped onto my lap, gave a mew, and settled down to sleep, purring as I pet him.

Becky was amused, "Perhaps you should've called Bodoujn into your dream to save you."

"I think I remember seeing he was too busy wooing Nightmare to come help me." I said, trying not to smile at that little idea.

Nightmare was currently in Becky's lap, and Becky only laughed.

"Could be a possibility." I mumbled, looking down at Bodoujn. He seemed to be trying to ignore my comment when he brought his front paws up to his ears.

The next day, I passed Professor McGonagall's classroom on the way to Herbology, the Gryffindors lined outside her door, when I heard Professor Lockhart talking to her.

He was very pleased with himself as he noted, "I don't think there'll be any more trouble, Minerva. I think the Chamber has been locked for good this time. The culprit must have known it was only a matter of time before I caught him. Rather sensible to stop now, before I came down on him.

"You know, what the school needs now is a morale-booster. Wash away the memories of last term! I won't say any more just now, but I think I know just the thing…" He strode away from Professor McGonagall and caught on to my shoulder.

I groaned inwardly. I had been able to stay out of his way outside of class, since in class he wasn't allowed to pay attention only to me.

"Would you like to help me with something, Melody?" he asked, loud enough for the Gryffindors to hear. I could just hear Professor McGonagall's scoff from far away, and I wished she could save me from _this_ nightmare.

"Maybe later, Professor Lockhart, I have Herbology now." I said, hoping he would leave me alone.

"Yes, maybe stay with me after Defense Against the Dark Arts class today and we can do that. But Melody," he said, stopping me before I could run away from him by taking hold of my arm, "You can call me father outside of class, you know."

He was serious about it, but nervous as well.

"I still have to get used to you." I said, pulling away from him. "Notice, it wasn't what I had expected… but, I'll stay with you after class today to help with whatever you need."

I regretted what I said the moment I told my friends in Herbology class. I tried talking myself out of it, though Becky looked excited for me. There was no getting out of the fact he was my stepdad now… oh lovely, I had two stepdads. I wondered why I had never asked if mom had divorced my other one who now had my little half-brother… he'd be a year old now.

"Something wrong?" Draco asked during Transfiguration.

"Just a memory," I said, "Nothing important."

At the end of Defense Against the Dark Arts class, I packed my stuff up but stayed behind as everyone left. I told my friends I'd catch up with them later.

Professor Lockhart took a chair and sat it in front of me, looking giddy. "I have had so perfect of an idea, it needs a lot of planning and _decorating_."

He was silent, and I waited for him to add on. "And…?"

"Hm?"

"What's the idea? Surely, you aren't going to have me help you without knowing what I'm helping with?"

"No, of course not, now what day is Valentine's Day?"

"February fourteenth."

"Do you usually celebrate it?"

"Not here as far as I've ever seen."

"Well we shall this year, with your help."

"What do you want _me_ to do?"

"Can you think of anyone that might want to be little cupids? Unless of course that'd be too insulting to purebloods…"

"Wizards know about Valentine's Day, they just don't celebrate it so freely." I said, having learned that from my mom. She'd told me as best she could remember about the differences between Muggle and wizard living. Only she'd lived as a wizard all her life, and had had quite a while to get used to Muggle life.

"Then how do you know Muggles celebrate it?"

"Didn't my mom tell you I was raised as a Muggle?"

"Um… she did mention that, but I hadn't thought it possible that that could be true and you'd still be in Slytherin."

I rolled my eyes, "I'm still a _half-blood_. _How_ I was raised makes no difference to Slytherins, including my friends, as long as I'm _not_ Muggle-born."

"Such as myself?" he asked.

"Yes, yet no one but myself of the students knows you're Muggle-born, otherwise the Slytherins would scorn having you as a teacher."

"But not you, of course?"

I scoffed, "Of course not, professor, now how about we get on with planning for Valentine's Day?"

When February the fourteenth came, the Great Hall was barely recognizable. I took all that Professor Lockhart got for the décor and had done the hall the night before, with his _many_ suggestions on how I could make it better.

I'd covered the walls with pink flowers and put a spell on the ceiling to drop heart-shaped confetti in the morning… with help from Professor Flitwick.

What had happened with the angels was an idea from Professor Dumbledore…

That morning, the heart-shaped confetti fell from the ceiling and pretty much every boy and teacher looked disgusted. Professor Lockhart had dressed in pink robes to match the Great Hall.

"Did you say _this_ is what he had you help him with?" Draco asked, disturbed by the mere sight of the room.

I smirked, "Yup, and had no choice in the matter of what to decorate it with."

"It's mesmerizing!" Becky said admirably.

I laughed, and said to Draco, "I don't much like it either, but I couldn't do anything to change it. Besides, I disliked it at first, but seeing everyone else's reactions is humorous."

He smiled, "I think I could probably agree if I'd helped out."

I threw up my hands, "I asked you, but you said no."

"Could've dragged me to help."

I snorted, "What sort of friend would I be? And besides, I didn't know it would be fun."

Professor Lockhart shouted out to everyone, "Happy Valentine's Day!" catching my attention. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all – and it doesn't end here!"

When he clapped his hands, a dozen dwarves marched into the hall wearing golden wings and carrying harps.

"My friendly, card-carrying cupids! They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"

I had to hold my hand to my mouth to stifle my laughter. Professor Lockhart certainly embarrassed both professors. Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands and Professor Snape looked ready to force-feed anyone poison if they asked for a Love Potion.

"Let me ask," Draco said to Becky, "Were _you_ one of the forty-six that sent Lockhart a card?"

She smiled and nodded, "Glad you recognized me as one!"

That girl had no bone in her body of a sense of shame or humiliation. She might be sent the _most embarrassing_ valentines card and not be annoyed with it.

When we left the Great Hall for classes, where dwarves kept interrupting in the middle of class to give someone a valentine. The teachers were all annoyed with it, especially noted in Professor Flitwick's class where once one left, another would barge in. It included mine, and I wanted more than anything to disappear as it _sang_:

_She'll be quite a beauty when she's grown,_

_I sure wish she could be my own._

_If I can keep myself at bay,_

_She will be happy and I'll have my way._

"Oh my gosh…" I said, dropping my head onto the desk. That would be stuck in my mind for the rest of my life.

"That's so cute, Melody! You have a secret admirer." Becky said excitedly.

"It's not fun." I muttered.

"Well, why not?" Draco asked curiously.

"I'd much rather not get something so publicly."

Right then, class ended. Flitwick was annoyed, and I was burning with humiliation. A secret admirer? More like a public unknown admirer! With no sense of discretion, too.

My friends followed me and I bumped into a large crowd of people, a very big commotion.

"What's going on here?" Draco asked loudly.

Then from an obvious Weasley, with a prefect badge on his uniform, asked, "What's all this commotion?"

Finally, we made our way to the front and saw a dwarf sitting on Harry's ankles, keeping him there.

"Right," it said, "Here is your singing valentine:

_His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,_

_His hair is as dark as a blackboard._

_I wish he was mine, he's really divine,_

_The hero who conquered the Dark Lord_

The prefect did his best to get everyone to leave the scene of Harry on the ground, grabbing all the things that'd obviously fallen to the floor in his attempt to get away from the dwarf.

"Off you go," he'd said, "off you go, the bell rang five minutes ago, off to class, now. _And_ you Malfoy."

Draco didn't listen, he'd only snatched up something of Harry's… Tom Riddle's diary.

"Give that back." Harry said.

"Wonder what Potter's written in this?" Draco asked aloud.

_Nothing_, I thought, oh _now_ what would happen? I saw Ginny in the field of onlookers, and she'd noticed what the diary was and looked at it in fright. She noticed me nearby, and I curtly nodded to her. She'd have to get it back somehow before anything happened.

"Hand it over, Malfoy," the prefect told him.

"When I've had a look." Draco said, tauntingly waving the diary at Harry.

_You won't find anything_, I thought in wonderment of what his reaction to that would be.

The prefect began saying something when Harry pulled out his wand and shouted, "_Expelliarmus_!" At the shout, the diary shot out of Draco's hand into the air and was caught by Ron.

I left at that, hurrying off to class before Draco did anything else and was leaving side-by-side with Becky.

"Don't want to see him make a fool of himself." Becky said with a smile.

I gave a small chuckle, "Nope, neither of us does."


	14. Chapter 14

I snorted, "Hagrid? Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets? That's daft, that is."

I sat with Hermione in the library, and she was just telling me Harry's suspicion, which actually sounded the absolute strangest conclusion. Harry had the diary, so Riddle must have instilled that idea in him… but even I knew Hagrid didn't so why couldn't the three realize that something was up?

"I know… Harry found out the story from a teacher –" _lies_, I thought as Hermione continued telling me, "– and Riddle had gotten an award because he caught Hagrid as the one who let the beast out… but he may have gotten the wrong person."

_He may have framed the person_, I thought with a sigh. "You know Hagrid better than anyone, and I know the three of you don't think he did it."

"What if he did it without realizing he was doing it? He likes monsters as though they're sweet pets, he might not have realized it was dangerous and just let it out to stretch its legs." Hermione said.

"Do we know what the monster is yet?" I asked.

"Something hairy," Hermione said, "and we also know that whatever it is, spiders are afraid of it."

"Spiders are afraid of it…" I said. I even knew that from what stories my mom told me of magical creatures. I knew that of the Basilisk but I could not tell that to Hermione. Then they'd know exactly what it was in the Chamber.

Hermione shrugged, "And, uh, do you _know _where the Gryffindor common room is?"

I looked up at her in surprise, "What brought that on?"

"Just that you might've secretly followed us to our common room after Harry and Ron snuck into yours in the disguise of Crabbe and Goyle."

"I would never." I said. "I don't have something of interest that I must learn."

"Right…" Hermione said, "Well, someone broke into Harry's room and stole the diary. I knew it wouldn't be you, but Ron wanted me to ask. Someone really destroyed their room to find it."

_Ginny_… I thought.

"You don't think it _was_ me, do you?" I asked.

"I don't, but…"

I rolled my eyes and stood up, "As if I care what those two think of me."

Once out of the library, I ran into Ginny and was suddenly engulfed in a hug that was accompanied with tears. I hugged her back, in slight surprise when she did so more in grabbing my hand and running.

She'd led me into the girls' bathroom, Moaning Myrtle's. Ginny took out the diary and thrust it at me.

"I can't _take_ it anymore!" she said.

"W-_What_'s wrong?" I asked, looking down at the diary in my hand. When I saw Ginny believed my confusion, it was obvious she now thought that I had no idea what was wrong with the diary.

"N-Never mind. B-But maybe you should k-keep the d-diary, it is in y-your name." Ginny said nervously.

I tried to think of some way in which I could keep her from giving to me, but found none so I only nodded to her. "Sure, I guess that would make sense… but you act as though something is wrong. Did he say something?"

She shook her head vigorously, "No, he said nothing wrong! Nothing at all!"

"I won't do anything if he did. Myrtle knows how he was the worst bully when he was in school. Worse even than Draco. _Did_ he say something?"

"It's more what he didn't say, but I'd rather not say anything about that."

"All right…" I said uncertainly.

That next Saturday was the Gryffindor game against Hufflepuff, and it was to be the last one before our final exams. I was on my way to the game with Draco placing bets on Hufflepuff, with hopes, when I saw Hermione waving to me. Quite frantically, too.

"I'll see you later Draco, I've got something I just remembered I have to do." I said, sprinting away.

"Come quick," Hermione said, "I think I've just figured something out!"

Hermione led me into the library and straight into one of the shelves, pulling it out and looking through the book. I looked around, Madam Pince wasn't around, but a Ravenclaw prefect was.

"What is it you've figured out?" I asked.

"Harry speaks Parseltongue, and there's a voice he keeps hearing before there's an attack that _no one else hears_… spiders _flee_ before the thing…" Hermione ripped out a page of the book and showed it to me. "It's a Basilisk."

"Oh!" I said, "Now I know what I was thinking about the other day! That's why it's so familiar… but it also has powers in its eyes."

"Exactly!" Hermione said, taking out a small, circular mirror.

The Ravenclaw prefect came into the aisle we were in and said, "Shush, this is a library not a hearing room." But then she stiffened, "What was that?"

Hermione and I heard it, too. A hiss, a movement… a book fell.

"Look into the mirror," Hermione said, "It will keep us from dying."

_What is the Basilisk doing out? I didn't leave it open, did I? No… I couldn't have, I remember closing it. I know I did!_ As I thought all of this, the Basilisk came up behind us and both girls beside me stiffened. The mirror fell from Hermione's hand… the girls were petrified.

I turned to it, "_How_ did you get out? You not supposed to be out during the day, and –"

The Basilisk turned away and its tail wrapped tightly around me, taking me away from the library and finding some pipes to slither through. I struggled to get out, telling it to let me go and worried when it wouldn't.

"At least tell me what's going on." I said.

"Master Tom asked little red head to open the Chamber. She was too late to throw it away. He has taken over her mind now."

My mouth dropped open. Now was my chance, I could call for help and no one would believe I had had anything to do with Tom Riddle's diary. Only… I had it on me… and I wasn't in any sort of trance, they'd notice that.

Back in the girls' bathroom, the Chamber right there, the Basilisk slid on in. As we went down, I said the word to close the Chamber before we landed anywhere.

"I can _walk_ now, thank you." I told the Basilisk. It wouldn't let go.

I scoffed.

Then, I saw what the _real_ Chamber was. It was very long, and dimly lit. There were many towering pillars along the side with many carved serpents on them. They rose to support a ceiling lost in the darkness, and cast dark shadows in the greenish, gloomy place.

The Basilisk finally let go of me and I gave a deep sigh.

I took out the diary, a quill and some ink and talked to Tom in the diary. "It's Melody. What is going on? The Basilisk has taken me down into the Chamber… what for?"

"To show you where all this began and where I want you to stay for a while."

"How long will I stay down here?"

"You'll see… it'll depend, because once I get Ginny down here I know Harry Potter will come to save her."

"He doesn't know where the entrance is… but with his friend's help, who's now petrified and has information for him, he'll know that the monster everyone fears is a Basilisk. Perhaps, in time, he'll realize that Moaning Myrtle is the girl that died fifty years ago and in the very place she haunts. I suppose you meant for this to happen?"

"In a way."

I took a deep breath, breathed it out, and wrote, "How will I survive down here?"

"Like this."

As with before, a window appeared in the diary and I was pulled right into it. I landed on hard ground, this time ready for it, I stood before Tom.

"This will keep me alive while we wait for the time to come?" I asked.

"Yes, and I will know when Ginny's come because she'll write in this diary the moment she gets here… we will come out and I will have about half of her strength and will continue to get it as long as she lies around unable to protect herself."

"Then Harry Potter will come to try and save her." I finished.

He nodded and held his hand out to me, "We have much to catch up on, my daughter. Though I am only a memory of Lord Voldemort, once I am at full strength I can go find him and be one with him.

I took it, wondering if anyone would notice I disappeared… perhaps my friends, but what of the teachers and the headmaster? Hermione obviously wouldn't, but I knew she would be okay soon enough with the help of the growing Mandrakes. What of Gilderoy Lockhart? Would he notice I was missing and tell anybody? Tell my mother to let her know? What if I never found out?


	15. Chapter 15

"Yes, I believe Harry Potter will come." I said again. Tom seemed to be anxious about it, Ginny hadn't come yet but he had full control of her mind and said she would come soon enough.

I had no idea of how much time had passed, but it was probably the longest I ever spent with my dad… especially the memory of him. It seemed as though many months had passed.

"Ginny will be here momentarily… I believe she's just now written my words. '_Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever_' and '_She will be stuck to him for all eternity_.'"

My head shot up to look at him with that last sentence. Was that talking about me?

"Yes, Melody, I need your body in order to be able to slip out of the pages when Ginny comes. You are stronger than Ginny, and my own heir, so your body will work, though when anyone sees us they'll only see me. You will disappear inside me and Ginny's strength will slowly come in to me when she comes as well." Tom said, smiling fondly at me.

_Well, of course,_ I thought sarcastically, _two young girls __**totally**__ have enough strength to put into the memory of a very dark lord. Why __**hadn't**__ I realized it before?_ I smiled back at Tom, but could feel myself shaking with fear. I would be _inside_ him… I would have no control.

"Sounds… like a perfect plan." I said uncertainly.

"Tom? What do I do now?" asked Ginny. I could hear her voice, but I couldn't see her. Well, obviously not, I was in the diary, and she was now writing in it.

"Calm down Ginny, I'll be right out." Tom said, and then gave an evil smile.

I suddenly found the both of us being pushed out of the diary, but this time Tom held on to me tightly. At the very end, I was in a world of darkness. Tom's mindset was terrible, evil and strong. I could see through his eyes, I was now taller. Ginny looked at us with shock and burst into tears.

"What's wrong, Ginny?" Tom asked, sounding so sincere, but not going anywhere near her.

"The d-diary's here, but I know I g-gave it to M-Melody. I w-wondered w-why she was g-gone and w-where she disappeared to, b-but I don't see h-her."

"You won't see her again, Ginny."

Ginny's eyes widened and she stood up, "What's happened to her?!"

He nodded toward the diary, "She agreed to help me and is now part of me. The only reason I'm out of the diary is because she gave herself to me."

_I don't remember agreeing to anything_, I thought to myself, certain that Tom didn't hear it as I blocked my mind.

"B-But…" Ginny didn't know how to retort to that, but instead fell to the ground.

_She's getting weaker_, Tom thought.

Ginny closed her eyes and was still. Though still alive, she was so pale. I felt responsible, knowing her brother, Ron, had very good reason to hate me though he didn't know about this part of it. Fred and George would, too.

Tom turned away from her and walked off into the shadows. _At any time now, Harry Potter will come and he will die. Now, Melody, what do you suggest._

He was asking for _my_ assistance? I thought quickly, _Use the Basilisk_.

_Good,_ he thought, _excellent_.

_And I'm sending Harry to his death, lovely,_ I thought to myself.

Sometime later, I felt sick to my stomach. I couldn't move, couldn't speak, and couldn't even breathe; Tom had control of all but my mind. It wasn't long before I thought I was going mad just being stuck inside him, like I was _becoming_ him. He'd used me for his own gain.

_Well_, I thought, _I shouldn't be surprised. That's what he does._

As we stood in the shadows, a figure came into the room and looked around at the tall pillars. Then it sprinted and knelt next to Ginny. It was Harry.

"_Ginny_! Ginny – don't be dead – please don't be dead – Ginny, please wake up." Harry muttered desperately.

"She won't wake." Tom said softly, leaning against a pillar.

Harry jumped and spun around, still kneeling on the floor. But he recognized us – well, he recognized Tom. "Tom – _Tom Riddle_?"

Tom nodded, watching Harry. I wanted ever so much to look at Ginny, how she was getting along, but Tom _would not _take his eyes off of Harry. He made it only too obvious that Harry intrigued him.

"What d'you mean, she won't wake? She's not – she's not –?"

"She's still alive, but only just."

_Figure something out Harry, save her_! I thought hopefully.

"Are you a ghost?" Harry asked.

Tom simply said, "A memory, preserved in a diary for fifty years." He pointed toward the diary, lying by the feet of a giant statue.

"You've got to help me, Tom," Harry said, not at all realizing how very dangerous Tom was. As he picked up Ginny, Harry's wand disappeared from beside him into Tom's hands, and he twirled it around. "We've got to get out of here. There's a basilisk… I don't know where it is, but it could be along any moment… Please, help me –" He finally noticed his wand wasn't next to him as he bent to pick it up, and didn't see that Tom had it until after he asked, "Did you see – ?"

"Thanks," Harry said, reaching out for it. Tom only smiled, and continued to twirl the wand while staring at Harry most intently. "Listen. _We've got to go!_ If the basilisk comes –"

Tom was calm, enjoying how Harry was not realizing he shouldn't trust Tom. "It would come until it's called."

_Okay, so he can trust Tom Riddle, but not me?_ I thought.

Harry let Ginny down and asked, "What d'you mean? Look, give me my wand. I might need it –"

Tom smiled wider. "You won't be needing it."

"What d'you mean, I won't be –?"

"I've waited a long time for this, Harry Potter. For the chance to see you. To speak to you."

"Look, I don't think you get it. We're in the _Chamber of Secrets_. We can talk later –"

_Honestly, Harry, Tom's not an idiot_, I thought to myself.

"We're going to talk now." Tom said, pocketing Harry's wand. I could even feel everything Tom was touching, I was about to go crazy.

"How did Ginny get like this?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"Well, that's quite an interesting question, and quite a long story. I suppose the real reason Ginny Weasley's like this is because she opened her heart and spilled all her secrets to an invisible stranger."

"What are you talking about?"

"The diary, _my_ diary. Little Ginny's been writing in it for months and months, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes – how her brothers _tease_ her, how she had to come to school with secondhand robes and books, how – how she didn't think famous, good, great Harry Potter would _ever_ like her…. It's very _boring_, having to listen to the silly little troubles of an eleven-year-old girl. But I was patient. I wrote back. I was sympathetic, I was kind. Ginny simply _loved_ me. _No one's ever understood me like you, Tom…. I'm so glad I've got this diary to confide in…. It's like having a friend I can carry around in my pocket…. Even your __**daughter **__is the most wonderful person…._" Riddle laughed coldly. "If I say it myself, Harry, I've always been able to charm the people I needed. So Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wanted…. I grew stronger and stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, far more powerful than little Miss Weasley. Powerful enough to start feeding Miss Weasley a few of _my_ secrets, to start pouring a little of _my_ soul back into _her_…"

"What d'you mean?" Harry asked.

"Haven't you guessed yet, Harry Potter? Ginny Weasley, with help from my future daughter, Melody, opened the Chamber of Secrets. Ginny strangled the school roosters and daubed threatening messages on the walls. Melody set the Serpent of Slytherin on four Mudbloods, and the Squib's cat."

"No," Harry whispered.

"Yes. Of course, they didn't _know_ what they were doing at first. Ginny was very amusing. I wish you could have seen her new diary entries… far more interesting, they became…. _Dear Tom, I think I'm losing my memory. There are rooster feathers all over my robes and I don't know how they got there. Dear Tom, I can't remember what I did on the night of Halloween, but a cat was attacked and I've got paint all down my front. Dear Tom, Percy keeps telling me I'm pale and I'm not myself. I think he suspects me…. There was another attack today and I don't know where I was. Tom, what am I going to do? I think I'm going mad…. I think I'm the one attacking everyone, Tom!"_

Now I really felt sick to my stomach. Poor Ginny… and I was the one who actually set the Basilisk out most of the time. It was only this last one that Tom acted through her to petrify anyone in the way of it grabbing me.

Harry's hands clenched into fists, he stared at Tom murderously.

"It took a very long time for stupid little Ginny to stop trusting her diary after I told Melody to stay away from us for a while. But she finally became suspicious and tried to dispose of it. And that's where _you_ came in, Harry. You found it, and I couldn't have been more delighted. Of all the people who could have picked it up, it was _you_, the very person I was most anxious to meet…."

"And why did you want to meet me?" Harry asked angrily.

"Well, you see, Ginny told me all about you, Harry. Your whole _fascinating_ history." Tom's eyes focused on Harry's scar, it was the first time I'd really noticed it, having avoided it before… and not knowing why. "I knew I must find out more about you, talk to you, meet you if I could. So I decided to show you my famous capture of that great oaf, Hagrid, to gain your trust –"

"Hagrid's my friend. And you framed him, didn't you? I thought you made a mistake, but –"

Riddle laughed again.

_We're not going to get anywhere if they keep interrupting one another_, I thought.

"It was my word against Hagrid's, Harry," Tom said, "Well, you can imagine how it looked to old Armando Dippet. On the one hand, Tom Riddle, poor but brilliant, parentless but so _brave_, school prefect, model student… on the other hand, big, blundering Hagrid, in trouble every other week, trying to raise werewolf cubs under his bed, sneaking off to the Forbidden Forest to wrestle trolls… but I admit, even _I_ was surprised how well the plan worked. I thought _someone_ must realize that Hagrid couldn't possibly be the Heir of Slytherin. It had taken _me_ five whole years to find out everything I could about the Chamber of Secrets and discover the secret entrance… as though Hagrid had the brains, or the power!

"Only the Transfiguration teacher, Dumbledore, seemed to think Hagrid was innocent. He persuaded Dippet to keep Hagrid and train him as gamekeeper. Yes, I think Dumbledore might have guessed…. Dumbledore never seemed to like me as much as the other teachers did…."

I had to admit, Tom had never told me any of this. His past, what had happened, and now why Harry had come to the conclusion that Hagrid might have done it.

"I bet Dumbledore saw right through you." Harry said through gritted teeth.

"Well, he certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on me after Hagrid was expelled. I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still at school. But I wasn't going to waste those long years I'd spent searching for it. I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages, so that one day, with luck, I would be able to lead another in my footsteps, and finish Salazar Slytherin's noble work. I only hadn't known that it would be an heir of mine, but she is part of me now and once we have Ginny's full strength, we'll be more powerful than ever."

"Well, you haven't finished it. No one's died this time, not even the cat. In a few hours the Mandrake Draught will be ready and everyone who was Petrified will be all right again –"

I was relieved to hear that… Hermione would be all right.

"Haven't I already told you," Tom asked softly, dangerously, "that killing Mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore? For many months now, my new target has been – _you_."

Harry was surprised and only stared back at Tom.

"Imagine how angry I was when the next time my diary was opened, it was Ginny who was writing to me, not you. She saw you with the diary, you see, and panicked. What if you found out how to work it, and I repeated all her secrets to you? What if, even worse, I told you who'd been strangling roosters? So the foolish little brat waited until your dormitory was deserted and stole it back. But I knew you would go to any lengths to solve the mystery – particularly if one of your best friends was attacked. And Ginny had told me the whole school was buzzing because you could speak Parseltongue….

"So I made Ginny write her own farewell on the wall and come down here to wait. She struggled and cried and became _very_ boring. But there isn't much life left in her…. She put too much into the diary, into me. Enough to let me leave its pages at last…. I have been waiting for you to appear since we arrived here. I knew you'd come. I have many questions for you, Harry Potter."

"Like what?"

"Well, how is it that _you_ – a skinny boy with no extraordinary magical talent – managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did _you_ escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?"

"Why do you care how I escaped? Voldemort was after your time…."

"Voldemort is my past, present, and future, Harry Potter…." Tom said, pulling out Harry's wand and tracing three shimmering words in the air:

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

He waved the wand once, and the letters rearranged into four words:

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

"You see? It was a name I was already using at Hogwarts, to my most intimate friends only, of course. You think I was going to use my filthy Muggle father's name forever? I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself, through my mother's side? I, keep the name of a foul, common Muggle, who abandoned me even before I was born, just because he found out his wife was a witch? No, Harry – I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, when I had become the greatest sorcerer in the world!"

"You're not."

"Not what?" Tom asked angrily.

"Not the greatest sorcerer in the world. Sorry to disappoint you and all that, but the greatest wizard in the world is Albus Dumbledore. Everyone says so. Even when you were strong, you didn't dare try and take over at Hogwarts. Dumbledore saw through you when you were at school and he still frightens you now, wherever you're hiding these days –"

_Too brave, Harry, too brave,_ I thought with a smile, though the smile didn't go to Tom's face.

Tom frowned, and then hissed out, "Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere _memory_ of me!"

"He's not as gone as you might think!"

Suddenly, we heard music before Tom could say anything. Tom whirled around to stare down the Chamber, and the music grew louder.

A big crimson bird appeared, about the size of a swan. It had a golden tail the size of a peacock's and golden talons holding a ragged bundle, swooping in and dropping the bundle at Harry's feet and, itself, landed on Harry's shoulder. A phoenix.

"That's a phoenix…." Tom said blankly, and I could hear his confusion about why the bird came down there.

"_Fawkes_?" Harry said. So it had a name…

"And _that –_" Tom said, looking at the ragged bundle, "that's the old school Sorting Hat –" and he laughed very loudly. "This is what Dumbledore sends his defender! A songbird and an old hat! Do you feel brave, Harry Potter? Do you feel safe now?

"To business, Harry. Twice – in _your_ past, in _my_ future – we have met. And twice I failed to kill you. _How did you survive_? Tell me everything. The longer you talk, the longer you stay alive."

Harry was silent a while. I felt my nerves bundle up into a giant knot, how was Harry going to get out of _this_?

Harry finally said, "No one knows why you lost your powers when you attacked me. I don't know myself. But I know why you couldn't_ kill_ me. Because my mother died to save me. My common _Muggle-born_ mother. She stopped you killing me. And I've seen the real you, I saw you last year. You're a wreck. You're barely alive. That's where all your power got you. You're in hiding. You're ugly, you're foul –"

Tom was angry, but he forced himself to smile at Harry. "So. Your mother died to save you. Yes, that's a powerful counter-curse charm. I can see now… there is nothing special about you, after all. I wondered, you see. There are strange likenesses between us, after all. Even you must have noticed. Both half-bloods, orphans, raised by Muggles. You, me, and Melody the only Parselmouths to come to Hogwarts since the great Slytherin himself. We even _look_ something alike… but after all, it was merely a lucky chance that saved you from me. That's all I wanted to know.

"Now, Harry, I'm going to teach you a little lesson. Let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against famous Harry Potter, and the best weapons Dumbledore can give him…."

I didn't want to watch this madness, but I _had _no other choice. Tom controlled himself _and_ me; I couldn't get out of it.

Tom looked up at the stone face of Salazar Slytherin and said in Parseltongue, "_Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four._" The statue's mouth opened and I could hear the Basilisk waking up.

I could feel myself, inside Tom, as though my own being there was disintegrating. _Tom!_ I thought to him in worry, only then noticing throughout that entire time that my body was shrinking inside him into nothing.

_Sorry, Melody_, he said to me_, but you are becoming a part of me and will die_.

"_Kill him_." Tom said to the Basilisk.

I wasn't watching anything, but hoped to myself that Harry would be able to get out of this. Me? I was slowly dying, but I was alive for it unlike Ginny. At least the Voldemort of the real world wouldn't kill me… his sixteen-year-old self was ruthless.

I heard shrieks and hisses and felt Tom's anger.

"_No! Leave the bird! Leave the bird! The boy is behind you! You can still smell him! Kill him!"_ Tom shouted, shrieking, in Parseltongue.

The Basilisk was blinded? By the phoenix?

A little time passed before Tom repeated, _"Kill the boy! Leave the bird! The boy is behind you! Sniff – smell him!"_

A little more time passed, with shrieks and screams and loud _thud_. I could feel Tom walk.

"You're dead, Harry Potter. Dead. Even Dumbledore's bird knows it. Do you see what he's doing, Potter? He's crying."

Crying? I could've almost cried with joy knowing that. The phoenix was crying, it was going to heal Harry! I'd read so much about phoenixes and had almost forgotten that until Tom pointed it out.

"I'm going to sit here and watch you die, Harry Potter. Take your time. I'm in no hurry. So ends the famous Harry Potter. Alone in the Chamber of Secrets, forsaken by his friends, defeated at last by the Dark Lord he so unwisely challenged. You'll be back with your dear Mudblood mother soon, Harry…. She bought you twelve years of borrowed time… but Lord Voldemort got you in the end, as you knew he must…. Get away, bird. Get away from him – I said, _get away –_"

Riddle moved around, I could feel the wand in his hand and feel the power course through it.

"Phoenix tears… Of course… healing powers… I forgot… But it makes no difference. In fact, I prefer it this way. Just you and me, Harry Potter… you and me…"

A rush of wings, the sound of something dropping to a soft landing, silence, a movement, and then Tom's scream and my own. The unbearable pain, though seemingly separating me from Tom, was not welcome.

Tom's body disappeared and I was thrown out, and then tumbled onto the floor somewhere near Ginny. Harry hurried over to us as Ginny stirred.

When he was nearby, I said, "Thank you, Harry… I knew you'd be brave and save Ginny." Then I passed out into darkness.


	16. Chapter 16

I opened my eyes to find myself in the hospital wing. How did I get here? Oh, right, Harry saved the day again, thank goodness. I had to pretend I could remember anything, though, I wanted people to tell me for themselves who my father was.

"Ah, Melody," I heard someone say.

I slowly looked to the door to see Professor Dumbledore standing there, beaming at me. "Professor… what happened?"

"That cannot be summed up into a short story unless I find out what you know."

I inwardly groaned, but otherwise kept my disappointment to myself. "The diary… th – that guy…"

"Ah yes, yes Tom Riddle."

"Only a memory…" I said thoughtfully, "But an evil one."

"Looks like you remember that, too."

I looked up at Dumbledore, feeling rather in despair. "He took over my mind… and I know that those times when he did, it seemed as though I were in a dark pit of nothingness. I'm not related to him, am I?"

He paused, as though contemplating what to tell me."He thought you were his, because of your last name. I'd rather not tell you all that he had you do –"

"I know what he did, Professor," I said softly, "Good thing we're not related, though. Even if he was my dad, my mom said he's been dead."

Professor Dumbledore looked startled by that, and even more so when my mom actually bustled into the room, and said, "That's right I did… Oh, Melody, I'm so glad you're all right." The moment she reached me, she hugged me tightly.

"Mom?" I asked when she let go, "Are you –?"

She nodded. "Six months…"

"–pregnant… Oh my gosh…. Where is Professor Lockhart?"

"He's your dad, you don't have to call him 'professor' anything," mom admonished.

I raised an eyebrow, "Yes, he's my s_tep_dad, I can call him what I please."

"I'm afraid," Professor Dumbledore cut in, "That in the attempt of his own, Ronald Weasley, and Harry Potter's to save you and Ginny… a spell backfired on Lockhart and his memory is all gone. I believe his memory has gone as far back as about the age of nine or ten."

My mouth dropped open. "Oh my," I said, "Tom didn't do that, did he?"

"Lockhart did it himself."

"Huh…"

"Now, Melody," my mom said, "It would be best for you to forget all about Tom Riddle. Though you are not related to that one, your father's name _was_ Tom. Just don't worry about it though, he was not so evil."

"Well, yeah, I guess." _His sixteen-year-old self tried to kill me for my strength while the one alive today wanted me to help him to power. He actually wanted to protect me. I think._

They _weren't_ going to risk telling me my dad was Lord Voldemort… I was old enough to know, right? I sure hoped they wouldn't try waiting until I was in my twenties or something… what if I turned out as bad as him? Oh no... no, no, no, I _would_ not stand for that.

I spent almost the rest of the year in the hospital wing, glad to know that they'd postponed any testing because of the Chamber of Secrets and had celebrations for those who'd been petrified and for Hagrid being announced innocent.

My friends visited me e_very single day_. Not that I minded it, I rather enjoyed their company. They'd all been worried about me, even Hermione visited me.

"Oh, when I woke up, I asked if they'd given you the potion yet! But when they said you hadn't been petrified, I feared the worst."

I smiled, "It was the worst, but I didn't die."

"Harry told me what happened... so he thought you were his future daughter or something?"

"Something like that... and he thought I would be a useful boost giving to thought that Ginny wasn't enough."

"Harry said that with a good look at his face at this point, he _did _look like you."

"Professor Dumbledore said that Tom had used my face while I was in his body so that everyone would think I was related... at some point I'm starting to wonder if my dad knew him seeing as they have similar names."

Hermione nodded, and then surprised me with a tight hug. So... everyone thought I was absolutely oblivious to the fact that that was the second time I was caught in the hands of Lord Voldemort.

Each of my friends made me recount what happened, which had to be different from the truth especially with Hermione. Instead of me letting the Basilisk out only because Tom told me, I'd said it was because he'd taken over my mind. Instead of me seeing _everything_ that happened, I said I only felt what Tom felt when I was stuck inside his body… I heard nothing and couldn't do anything. The _only_ truth was I hadn't agreed to be inside his body.

I was glad when I heard that Harry had destroyed the diary with a fang from the Basilisk, and it at least explained why Tom disappeared and I was still alive.

Ginny had been in the hospital in the bed next to me, telling me she'd worried that the two of us would be expelled for helping Tom out. That we were lucky this time because of how Tom had admitted to having us under a spell.

Well… I knew if anyone found out I hadn't been under a spell, I'd've been expelled _and_ sent to Azkaban. No one would trust me again.

It surprised me how Dumbledore still showed some trust in my innocence, though the Dark Lord had taken and done a sort of attack at me in both years. He saw right through Tom's acts, why couldn't he see through mine?

Once at night when Ginny had finally fallen asleep and I found I couldn't, I had another visitor anyways.

"Melody Riddle?"

I opened my eyes to find Dobby at the end of my bed.

"Dobby!?" I asked in a whisper. "What're you doing here?"

"Dobby heard Melody was in the hospital wing and wanted to go talk to you. Dobby is a free elf! Harry Potter freed Dobby!"

"Really? Oh, Dobby, that's wonderful!"

Dobby nodded, "Dobby knew you'd be happy about his freedom, you've always been so kind."

I looked down at my hands, "No I haven't, Dobby, I –"

"You have, you have… You called on Dobby to keep Harry Potter from coming to school, so he'd be safe."

"Yeah, that's about the only good I've tried to do…" I said softly.

"Dobby is sure you've done more than you say you have… very modest you are. Melody tried to keep Harry Potter out of trouble for as long as possible knowing her father is very dangerous. This calls for celebration."

"It doesn't, it really doesn't, Dobby." I said.

"At least I know who the real you is." Dobby said, snapping his fingers and disappearing with a crack.


End file.
